Chapter 32: Choke Me Like You Hate Me

The end of Summer was near, and most of the hoopla about Cole's death had blown over. Sammy and Aiden were seeing each other on the regular, doing it on the regular, and she was itching for something to happen. To take matters into her own hands, when Lydia asked her to go shopping, Sammy said yes. In an effort to bond with her female friend that actually happened to be in town instead of running around France, Sammy put on a pastel pink sundress, her jean jacket, and her favorite pair of Birkenstocks. Her makeup was done all natural looking, and she was ready to blow some money on some clothes.

Sammy and Lydia were walking out of the Starbucks with their matching frappuccinos, each with shopping bags of new things. Retail therapy was a true lifesaver for the two ladies. Lydia was still reeling herself out of the hole that Jackson put her in before he left, and Sammy was having trouble with itching the scratch she had in the wake of killing Cole. So, the two of them had been shopping all morning, and had just one more store to hit before they'd officially entered and browsed in every single store in the mall.

"Do you think we should have a girls night tonight?" Sammy asked Lydia, the two of them walking through the mall in their high heels and mini skirts.

"It could be fun. I actually heard there was a party tonight if you wanted to go with me?" Lydia asked, looking at Sammy with her pleading, green eyes. "After everything this summer I just need a wingman to go with me," Lydia said, attempting to guilt Sammy into going, but this was Samantha Stilinski. She didn't need to be guilted into going to a party.

"Don't worry, I'll go with you. But whatever shall I wear?" Sammy teased, shaking her shopping bag in hand.

"And if you want, you could invite Aiden," Lydia added.

"Aiden? What do you mean Aiden?"

"Oh, don't play coy. You've been texting him all summer and acting like no one could see his name on your phone screen every five minutes. You two are back together, aren't you?" the redhead inquired, though, she already knew the answer.

"Alright, fine, yes, he and I are back together," Sammy smirked, thinking about how together she felt with Aiden on most nights.

"Oh my god," Lydia gasped, stopping in her tracks.

"What? Lydia, what is it?" Sammy asked, worried about the sudden outburst of her friend. Lydia's eyes were wide like saucers and her mouth was hanging open.

"You had sex with him, didn't you? And you didn't even tell me?! We're best friends!" Lydia exclaimed. Sammy's cheeks heated as her best friend's revelation registered in her brain.

"I didn't mean to not tell you!" She defended. "Honestly I just got so caught up in it that I didn't know what to say! Especially since you've been alone all summer."

"That's no excuse to hide something like that, but totally understandable. Now invite that hunk of hotness to the party tonight," Lydia commanded, her queenly smile taking hold. Sammy pursed her lips together, trying to fight a smile.

"Fine," Sammy said, pulling out her phone. She shot a quick text to her boyfriend before tucking the cellphone back into her purse.

"Is it good?" Lydia teased, wiggling her shoulders. Sammy's mouth gaped open in shock and feigned disgust.

"I cannot believe you're asking me that right now!" Sammy laughed.

"He's a big dude and your first lay, I wanna know if he's good!" Lydia continued, laughing with her.

"Okay, okay, well if it answers your question, he's been rocking my world every single night for the last three weeks," Sammy admitted in a quiet voice, smirking through every single word.

Lydia squealed and said, "Glad someone finally rocked your socks off. I've been waiting to be able to talk to you about hook up stuff and you actually know what's up."

"Are you kidding me? I lose my official v-card and the exciting part to you is sharing the dirty details that you already used to share?" Sammy laughed.

"Of course! It's different when both parties know what they're talking about! Plus it's nice to know someone showed you what it's supposed to be like."

"I 100% agree. I used to be terrified of intimacy. But with Aiden it's comfortable...safe…"

"It's hot and nasty," Lydia corrected. "But in a good way."

"Yes, in a good way," Sammy shrugged. The two of them entered the final store and began perusing. Her phone vibrated in her purse, so she checked it in hopes that Aiden was about to tell her he'd be going with her and Lydia to the party.

[Aiden] thanks for the invite, baby

[Aiden] I can't, stuff to do with the pack

[Sammy] no worries, just figured I'd ask :)

Damn. Maybe she wouldn't be getting laid tonight.


The two girls were in Sammy's room, getting ready for their impending party. Lydia had her hair in a high ponytail that was curled to perfection, along with beautifully done makeup that made Lydia glow like the goddess she was. Sammy had her hair up as well, but in two space buns on top of her head. Her makeup was her usual, except her winged eyeliner was longer than usual and her lips were currently painted black. Lydia was dressed in a red bodycon dress, and Sammy had on a skin tight, sheer black top that showed off the lacy black bralette that she wore underneath, along with high waisted black shorts that really made her ass pop. Both girls put on their high heels, Lydia's nude and Sammy's black.

If looks could kill, they were about to slaughter a party.

When they felt they'd put the finishing touches on themselves, the two girls made their exit. Lydia packed up all her stuff from Sammy's room, and they made their way down to Lydia's car. The two of them climbed in, buckled up their seatbelts, and went on their merry way.

It was Sammy and Lydia. Lydia and Sammy. The dynamic duo was finally back at it again, and this would be the first time they strutted into a party together, dressed like the party girls of every teenage boy's dream. Neither had left much up to the imagination, and it didn't matter. They felt sexy. They felt powerful. The best part? If any guy tried to make an inappropriate or unwanted move, Sammy would pleasantly be able to break both their wrists without batting an eye. This was going to be a good night, even though Aiden wasn't able to attend the party with them. The dream would be that Jackson and Aiden both came with them, the man-candy on their arms. Except, Aiden was busy and Jackson had moved out of the country with his family. Nevertheless, the girls were open to the night.

When the car pulled up, Lydia came to a stop, casually parking on the side of the street. The house was ahead of them in full view, drunk kids entering and exiting the house. Neither girl moved for a moment, just eyeing the party before them.

"You ready?" Lydia asked, finally reaching to unclick her seatbelt.

"Yeah, are you?"

"I'm not sure," Lydia sighed. "I just want to enjoy the night. I don't want to flirt with boys. I'm not ready for that after Jackson left. But I do want to have a fun girls night with you," Lydia smiled.

"Me too. This'll be a night to remember," Sammy smiled. Both girls made the bold move to exit the car and approach the party. Sammy could feel the music before she could even see the inside of the house. Which was entirely possible considering this was one of the largest summer parties she'd ever seen, and she hadn't seen that many considering this was her first summer filled with partying. The summer before her sophomore year. Crazy right?

As Sammy and Lydia entered the party, they received glances, made eye contact with a few people, and the only thing any of it led to was their old friend group's favorite drug dealer approaching them. They called him "Ville the Family Man," because of the park he'd meet people at in the beginning. He was the "Family Man," because he was always bringing his baby cousin with him, letting the little tyke play on the playground while he made deals and kept a watchful eye. Clever, no one ever expects the guy with the cute little kid. And who said you couldn't make extra money while babysitting?

"Ms. Martin, Baby Sheriff, how ya'll doin?" Ville greeted them. He was already stoned, partying with the other kids. He was a senior this year, after all.

"We're doin great, man!" Sammy grinned, the excitement of the world around her seeping in beneath her skin.

"That's good! That's so good man," he replayed, his smirk drifting into a full smile. The guy was high out of his mind, his carefree nature amplified.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go get us some drinks, m'kay?" Lydia said, looking at Sammy. Sam nodded and got back to talking to Ville.

"Baby Sheriff, beautiful Sammy, are you in need of any party favors on this festive night?" Ville inquired, patting his stuffed jean pocket to signal to her that he was packing a supply.

"I don't do drugs anymore," Sammy told him, despite the itching need arising within her. It wasn't that she yearned for the days of her emotional dependency to them, but she was genuinely curious if any of them would still work on her now that she was a werewolf.

"No way! Really?" Ville was shocked by her statement. She'd been one of his frequent fliers, and she didn't even realize how much she was doing until she noticed how much more money made it into her savings account when she stopped buying them.

"Yeah, I turned over a new leaf, dude," she told him, now vibing with the rolling bass of the music around them.

"That's a shame, I got a new batch of molly that I thought you'd like. Really, supplier told me how it makes people feel and I immediately thought, 'damn, baby sheriff would be vibin on this,'" Ville told her, amused with her space buns. He couldn't help but make eye contact with them instead of her. "Can I touch them?"

Sammy laughed, "Sure, Ville." Just like that, he carefully reached forward and squeezed the two buns in her hair and grinned from ear to ear. "So what makes this batch of molly better than usual?"

"Tell me when you find out," Ville told her before slipping a small pill in her hand and wandering off. Sammy looked down at the pill in her hand. One one side, she was happy that she didn't do a lot of drugs anymore, but on the other she was dying to know if she'd actually get high. The choice was taken out of her hands as Lydia returned with two drinks for the two girls. Sammy didn't want Lydia to see the pill, so into her mouth it went. With a quick swallow, it was gone, and she remained with Lydia and their drinks.

"Did you enjoy your little sober conversation with Ville?" Lydia asked, now smiling.

"Ha, yeah. He then was sidetracked by the idea of there being some snacks, and off he went," she lied. Lydia bought it and the two girls began milling through the party. There were people all over the place. The entire house was filled with neon lights that lit up every inch of the house in strange colors. Mixed in were black lights that made people glow, and the strobe lights in the living room with the DJ had her heart beating faster with excitement.

"Come on, lil mama. We're gonna dance," Lydia decided.

"I was just about to say the same thing," Sammy agreed as the redhead took her hand and led her to a clear spot on the dance floor. Once the two of them had started dancing together, Sammy had begun to wonder if the pill she popped was ever going to kick in. the prospect of it seemed fun, but slowly made her sad that something that once amped her partying may no longer have the same effect.

It was when the two began dancing up against each other that Sammy felt something shift. She'd become hyper aware of Lydia's presence with her own. It was her body heat, the friction of her red dress grazing Sammy's black shorts, the way Lydia's breath changed with the way she danced to each song. It was almost hypnotizing. Her eyes had drifted closed with the music washing over her, the bass of the song somehow beating her own heart for her. In her darkness, in her own personal realm of bliss, her movements were no longer controlled. Now they were dictated by the vibe of the music and the rolling movements from Lydia's dancing.

For what felt like an eternity, she danced in her own darkness, drawn in by the music like a moth to a flame. There was nothing that could break her from her own self-inflicted trance, but that had only been believable until Lydia tapped Sammy on the shoulder and said over the music, "Hey, I'm gonna get another drink, I'll be right back!"

Her eyes were now opened to the sea of drunken teenagers that engulfed the room with such euphoric need. The way they moved seemed lagged, like a long exposure video. With every movement they left a trail of light in the wake of their limbs. Even walking away had them leaving an inverse shadow, twinkling with neon light. The things she was seeing was something she hadn't expected to see. They were things she'd thought she'd left behind when the Kanima forced her to change into something she hadn't been ready for. The high of being overstimulated by lights and sounds had her head way up in the clouds, allowing her body to move freely and autonomously without her realizing it. It allowed her eyes to see things without judgment or fear. Her true consciousness was gone, allowing for her primal being to experience the party surrounding her with new eyes. It was damn near primordial. The existence before her creation, before the actuality of existence.

As she danced, there was not a consciousness in her head, not a single thought behind her eyes. She just vibed to her own existence and to the existence of the world that she thought had long since abandoned her when Derek bit her. It was impossible, and yet she was experiencing it.

Time began to slip away from her as Lydia returned. It felt like the two of them had danced for hours, and only when a new presence met her skin had she even grasped the concept as basic as the passing of time. He'd put his hands on her hips, pressing his nose to the nape of her neck as he inhaled her scent. She'd expected it to be Aiden, and she'd expected to be pleasantly surprised, but when she sniffed the air in return, she knew it wasn't even close to her boyfriend.

Her body stopped cold, turning to face the guy who thought it was okay to lay his hands upon her in this time of serenity. His unmistakable eyes and ever so slight curl of his lip had been a dead give away, even if his scent hadn't been.

Thomas.

"Oh, come on. You can't tell me you didn't like that," he tried to say to her. Regardless of his words or the sensation she had prior to knowing who had triggered it, Sammy moved him away from her and moved a step over, so she was dancing with Lydia again, instead of with a monster.

His eyes lingered on her, and she couldn't break. As her new thoughts entered her mind, Sammy changed. She continued to dance provocatively with her best friend, but she maintained an alluring level of eye contact with Thomas. His lips pulled into a smirk, her movements intriguing him. Her painted black lips turned into a seductive smile as her head gently tilted to the left. His own head tilted with her. She licked her lips before gently biting her lower lip, still maintaining eye contact with him. When she finally looked away, she'd leaned her head back to Lydia and whispered in the ginger's ear.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom, I'll be right back," Sammy told her. Lydia nodded and continued to dance as Sammy wandered away from the living room. She did it slowly, looking over her shoulder to make secondary eye contact with Thomas, managing to get him to follow her. He followed her away from the living room, through the front hall of the house, and up the stairs where the music soon faded from them, only the heavier notes of each song rattling through the floor and walls. She opened a door, finding an empty bathroom before slowly closing it, but he stopped her.

Thomas pushed the door open, following her in and finally facing her in quieter, more private circumstances.

"I knew you didn't hate me," Thomas said finally, breaking their seductive silence that she'd created all on her own.

"No, I definitely still hate you," Sammy smirked. Thomas shook his head.

"There's no way you do all that and still hate me at the same time. You want me," he maintained. Sammy shook her head, still smirking.

"I don't want you, just like I didn't want you that night, just like I'll never want you, honey," she crooned, crossing her arms against her chest. Thomas didn't seem very amused by her anymore.

"I could just make you, just like I did before," she told her, his tone changing. It was becoming more aggressive. She could smell the adrenaline slowly building up within him. She could also sense his own arousal.

"Like you could. Last time you needed to drug me, which means you're weak, and a pussy," she laughed. Her giggles were cut off by his hand flying to her throat, shoving her into the wall. Her airway was constricted as he held her there, looking down into her eyes that were unphased by his act of aggression.

"Yes, daddy. Choke me like you hate me," she croaked, still smiling despite the inability to breathe properly. Thomas's hand grew tighter.

"You're right. I do hate you," he grinned, his face growing dangerously close to hers.

"You're so damn sexy, and yet you don't want anything to do with me. I'll never get what I want with you being willing," he admitted, the anger coursing through his voice and expression.

"Right again. I'll never be willing," she confirmed.

"Fine, then I guess you'll have to be unwilling," Thomas decided. He tried to force himself on her, but Sammy's eyes immediately lit up like blue light sabers as her face shifted into the monster he'd started her on the path to becoming.

"What the hell?" Thomas had gone from aroused to afraid in no time at all.

"What? You don't like me like this?" Sammy asked, growling under her own words. He tried to leave, but she yanked him away from the door and sidestepped to strap him in the bathroom with her.

"Sammy, I'm sorry for what I did to you. Brandon told me you wanted it-"

"Really? He told you I wanted it? Funny. That's the same thing Cole told me before I slaughtered him."

"I thought Cole died from an ani-"

"-animal attack. Yeah. That was me," Sammy admitted to him, showing her claws for a moment. The fear within Thomas had escalated. He wasn't so threatening now that he knew she was far more dangerous than he'd anticipated when he followed her up there.

"You don't have to kill me. I can help you. I could-"

"You could what? Break my wrist for me?" she asked, reaching out and grabbing him. He was unable to pull away from her grip before she jerked her arm violently and snapped the bones in his wrist. Thomas cried out in pain, and she considered herself lucky that the music was playing so loudly for the party below them.

"Please! I don't want to die!"

"It's okay, I don't have to kill you. I just want you to feel the pain I felt from what you did to me," Sammy crooned. "Just like when you dislocated my shoulder," she added before yanking his arm. With a loud pop, she pulled it out of the socket like it was nothing. Again, Thomas screamed in pain. The sound of his agony fueled her.

"Please, let me go," Thomas begged. Sammy looked into his eyes, saw his fear, and took pity. He was just a sad little teenage boy that assaulted girls for shits and giggles, and he'd never develop beyond that as a person.

"Fine," she shrugged. She turned around, waiting for his response. She reached for the door and opened it to leave.

"Crazy bitch," he whispered under his breath. Now, a normal human wouldn't have been able to distinguish what he said beyond murmuring sounds, but she wasn't a normal human. With a wicked smile, she shut the bathroom door again.

"I guess I'm all out of mercy, Tommy. You took that from me when you stole my virtue from me," Sammy snarled. She unshifted her face, put away her claws, and grabbed him by the throat. She forced him into the floor, sat on his chest, and pinched his nose and held her hand over his mouth. Thomas fought and tried to escape her, but the longer she held him there, the less he was able to fight. The lack of oxygen made him weaker and weaker until his arms slowed, then dropped to the floor. His eyes looked into her own and finally, they dilated, his heart beating one last time. Once she was sure he was dead, she let go of his face and saw her own in the mirror. They were glowing green, only for a moment, before turning blue again. It didn't matter. She needed to cover this up.

Sammy slid open the bathroom window, and like a ragdoll, she tossed him out. But she was smart. She tossed him out with just enough force that it would look like he just slipped out. She closed the window faster than he could hit the ground, and when he did, the sudden outbursts of shocked party-goers began to settle in. Sammy nonchalantly walked out off the bathroom, back down the stairs, and found Lydia.

"Sammy, thank god you're back. It's four in the morning and I think it's time we head home," Lydia greeted her, green eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"That sounds like a lovely idea," Sammy smiled. Just like that, she and her best friend left the party and drove away in Lydia's little blue car.


The high of killing another person on her list, bringing herself to the point of two down and one to go, had Sammy as sober as can be. The molly had left her system, and she was now home, alone, and Lydia had just texted that she made it home safe and was heading to bed. Sammy's dad was out, likely responding to a call about a dead body at an underage party, so the only thing Sammy could do, or even wanted to do, was get ready for bed.

She unraveled her buns, brushed out her hair, stripped naked, and climbed into the shower. This time there was no blood for her to wash out, but she still felt the need to clean herself compulsively, like she was worried he'd left evidence behind on her skin. It wasn't in a bad way that she felt the need to clean herself, it simply led her to take a luxurious shower. Once her hair had been washed, her face had been cleansed, and her body had been scrubbed, Sammy finally got out of the shower. She dried herself off and pulled on her pajamas, which that night were a white t-shirt and a pair of pink cotton shorts.

It was interesting, seeing her makeup-less and in plain clothing. What was even more interesting had been her eyes earlier. Sammy leaned into the mirror and turned her eyes, the blue light shining back at her from her reflection. No matter how hard she tried, there was not a single flicker of green, just cold blue light that matched the lightsaber Stiles had when they were little. With a sigh, she went downstairs, her bare feet padding the hard wood. She was hungry and nowhere near tired after the events of the night. She needed to make herself sleepy, and a carb filled snack would do just the trick. Sammy pulled out a kraft easy mac from her kitchen pantry and pulled the plastic off the top. Following the instructions, she filled the water to the line in the cup, microwaved it for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, and mixed in the powdered fake cheese.

Sammy leaned on the kitchen counter with her mac and cheese, blowing on it to cool it down. The quiet house brought her peace, and her mac and cheese only reinforced that as its flavor met her tongue. She'd made it three bites in before her peace had been interrupted by three individuals approaching the door. In preparation to migrate to her room, she shoveled a fourth bite into her mouth and grabbed her phone, tucking it into her sports bra for easy carrying.

When the front door flew open, Stiles, Scott, and Derek came marching in. The looks on their faces were not promising, and Sammy was angry with Derek's presence. She had no need for him, and she didn't want him in her home. This was supposed to be her sanctuary, and he was invading it.

"Welcome home. Have a nice night?" Sammy asked, chewing through her mac and cheese.

"Cut the bullshit, Sammy. Dad called. They found a body tonight. Some kid fell out of a window. Ring any bells?" Stiles asked. She shrugged.

"No? I was with Lydia all night," she told them. It wasn't exactly a lie.

"You and Lydia were at the same party, Georgia posted a picture on Facebook and I saw the two of you in the background," Stiles continued. Sammy just looked at them.

"So? No one was dead when I left. You can ask Lydia, she dropped me off an hour ago?" Sammy continued to try talking her way out of it. But they weren't budging.

"It was Thomas. That's now not one, but two guys dead that have one huge thing in common-"

"That they deserved to rot in hell? Cool, glad we're on the same page," Sammy snapped. She took another bite of her mac and cheese and started towards the stairs to go to her room, but the three of them followed.

"You killed both of them, didn't you?" Scott asked as they followed her up the stairs without even hesitating.

"No, I didn't," Sammy replied as she went into her room, setting her snack on her bedside table.

"Yes, you did," Derek said, now sniffing her shirt that she'd worn to the party. "This smells like a teenage boy-"

"So are you accusing me of murdering my boyfriend? Because Aiden is still very much alive, assholes," Sammy snapped at them again.

"No. This smells human. You and I both know that neanderthal you call a boyfriend is not human," Derek argued. Stiles and Scott both whipped their heads around to look at Derek. "Right, she probably neglected to mention that Aiden is a werewolf," he grumbled. She transitioned into glaring at him at this point, her gaze like daggers trying to pierce his skin.

"That's besides the point," Scott shook it off. "You killed Thomas, didn't you?" Scott asked again. Sammy was fighting the urge to turn, pursing her lips together as she made an effort to control her breathing.

"I'm tired of this arguing," Derek said before his eyes lit up red and his face shifted. With a roar, his energy broke through her and forced her to turn like it was a defensive mechanism. He eyes glowed blue before them, and all three were taken aback by her hidden change. They no longer could hide behind the hope that her eyes would be gold when she turned.

"You killed them, and now you're coming with me," Derek ordered her, but Sammy didn't move, her breathing turning into a low growl.

"No, I'm not," she snarled, staring him down. Her claws slowly drifted out.

"I said...You're coming with me," Derek ordered again.

"And I said no!" she snarled back at him.

"I am your alpha-"

"No!" she cut him off. "You're not my alpha anymore. I don't have to do a damn thing you say," she informed him, a smile now stretched across her lips, casually revealing her fangs.

"Sammy-" Scott tried to say, but she didn't stick around long enough to hear the rest of it. In everyone else's shock, she leapt for her window, ripped it open and jumped out. As they all three bolted to the window, they had to watch her sprint away from them.