CHAPTER 35

Bad Moon Rising

When Stiles woke, Mars was asleep, and he was still in her arms. He didn't move right away. He looked down at his watch, and he nudged Mars. It had felt like a nap, but apparently had been 13 hours. "We got to go to school." She shook her head.

"No?" He questioned. She shook her head again and rolled over. Stiles remembered why he was there and wasn't going to take it easy with her anymore. "Use your friggen words."

"No." She grumbled. She felt better now. A little less empty at least.

"Why not." Stiles sounded annoyed, Mars turned to him.

"Mum called me out." She managed some brief eye contact and forced herself to sit up. She was a bit annoyed with him, but it wasn't his fault. He couldn't know what had happened. Nor would she or Mary ever tell.

"Really?"

"Really. Come over when you're out. Full moon tonight, we have to prepare for Scott." Mars reminded him. "I'm talking now, so you can tell everyone not to worry their pretty little heads. Please go."

Stiles opened his mouth to speak, but he ultimately decided against doing so. "I'll come over after class." He managed.

"Okay. I'll see you then." Mars said, rolling back over and trying to find sleep again.

That day at school, Mars missed out. If she had her full mental capacity, this fact would have been made clear when Stiles broke his promise to come over after school and opted to text her to meet him at Scott's. When Mars got the text, she let out a sigh of relief, she wasn't ready to face Sheriff yet. She honestly didn't think she ever would be.

The thought of him was pushed aside- she knew she couldn't handle it. Every muscle in her body still ached as she tucked pillows beneath her covers and climbed out her window.

Now, Mars and Stiles were stationed faithfully outside of Scotts bedroom. Mars' face gaunt, the skin under her eyes purple despite the days of sleep. There was still a constant turning in her stomach, but she wasn't willing to visit the hospital.

Stiles on the other hand looked healthy as ever, outside of the deeply pissed expression firm on his face. "Are you really that mad at him, Stiles?" Mars asked as Stiles scribbled Scott's name across a dog food bowl. "It was just a kiss, and you don't know for sure that he even did it."

"Trust me, I know." He fumed, closing the marker and tossing it.

"It's not like she's your girlfriend, if anyone should be mad, it's Jackson." Mars challenged, he shot her daggers.

"But it's Lydia." Mars grabbed his shoulders, she winced at the contractions her muscles made as she did so.

"Listen to me. You don't have a chance in hell at her. She barely knows you exist. Get over it, and make up with your best friend." It came out harsher than she'd intended, but she couldn't form the stable thoughts she needed to do otherwise. Glowering, Stiles pushed past her. Mars followed him and sat on the bed.

Scott in chains was something she knew would be there, but seeing it was different. Her face was unreadable. Her mind wandered- should she be in chains, too?

When she returned to reality, Stiles had stormed out of the room, leaving her alone with Scott.

They sat for a moment, staring at one another. "Don't you think you're being a little hard on him?".

Scott rolled his eyes. "You're one to talk." Scott scoffed. Mars hadn't noticed earlier, but Scott's whole demeanor had changed.

Mars crossed her arms, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Casually, Scott said: "It means all you do is take advantage of him. Of everyone really, but especially him. He's your security blanket."

"You're not yourself, and you're wrong." She shrugged him off.

"Am I?" He questioned, she had already averted her eyes. "You treat him like garbage. Like he's some sort of lapdog and you can't even see it. You say jump and he always asks how high." He recaptured her gaze. "What would you even do if he said no to you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Accept no for what it is." She leaned closer. "You're oversimplifying things."

"You're sure it's not the other way around? Because from where I sit, you're a burden on him, and Sheriff. Your own mother can't even stand to be in the same room as you."

Mars felt her body temperature rise from the ice she'd been at for days. "Shut the fuck up, Scott. You have no idea what you're talking about."

He smiled. "Here we go, you're going to act all tough now. Nothing affects you. Why would it? You'd have to care about something other than yourself."

Mars clenched her teeth and her eyes shut. "Shut up."

"You can't handle hearing the truth about yourself, is that it?" Mars covered her ears. "There you go, acting like a child when things don't go the way you want." Scott smiled. "Do you think he hasn't noticed? That I haven't noticed what you're trying so hard to hide?" He leaned as close to her as he could.

The pain in Mars' body was beginning to fade. As it did, she felt that ethereal feeling from the night of the parent conferences, and she was glad for it. She felt her body moving closer to Scott, on her hands and knees. "You're going to kill him." Scott finished.

"Do you think you scare me, Scott?" Mars felt herself say, but it didn't feel like the words were hers. Her tone of voice had changed from scared and raspy to sultry and melodic. "A few meaningless words are going to get you your way?" Their faces had barely any space between them. "If the decision were mine," She grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "I would leave you in here to rot until you learn to control yourself."

Scott's yellow eyes returned to a soft brown while she held his gaze. "Mars?" He questioned quietly. Subdued, he did not resist at all when she kissed him.

"What, you have to take Mars, too?" Stiles glared at the kissing pair. Mars pulled away, satisfied of her own malice. Challenging him.

It was clear to Scott that she'd sensed Stiles somehow, that she knew what she was doing.

She stood and turned to Stiles. He took in the fact that Scott looked completely defeated. Mars approached Stiles, he tried his hardest to look past her and at Scott, but he physically couldn't. Very much like the other day when they were drinking in the woods, it felt an awful lot like the woman in front of him was holding his soul in the palm of her hand.

"I needed him to stop talking." She explained. He took in her appearance the best he could with the control she had over him. Though she felt lighter and relieved, Stiles saw the opposite in her, she looked dark, her whole being had shifted. When she stood before him, he felt compelled to lean down and press his forehead to hers. He held her hand. "You don't need to worry, Stiles. You don't need to worry." Her eye contact did not waver. "I need to leave now." She whispered, close to his lips. "You're going to let me go. You'll allow it, won't you?" She tested him, or rather, commanded.

"Yes." He whispered, and in that moment, he meant it. He'd allow anything.

"Stiles, snap out of it." Scotts voice was heard by Mars, but not Stiles.

She looked Stiles down a moment longer, and then she left. Like Stiles had promised, he let her. He remained completely still for a while after. In that time, Scott escaped. As he grabbed his keys to go search for them both, he realized that Mars' eyes were green again. This time though, he didn't think that he had imagined it.