Chapter 5: Malia
Malia watched as Scott drove away, she was worried about him. In the last couple months their friends had finally started to heal, they hadn't had time after the loss of Allison. First because members leaving like Derek and Isaac and even the twins. Thought Stiles refused to admit they were part of their pack. But then there were the attacks by Theo and the Dread Doctors.
It had taken until now for them to start to heal, but while the pack was healing, it was still a mess. Scott, who had finally embraced his Alpha side, still didn't have the knowledge on how to make and run a pack, plus there was too much that new and changing for it to settle.
Things like Liam, who was still new and lacked proper control. Corey said he didn't want to be part of a pack again, after everything Theo had done, but he still hung around. Mostly because Mason kept dragging him to all their meetings.
Plus, there was Stiles and Mason who she knew Scott viewed as pack, but with them being human they didn't have the same urges and desires when it came to pack. She wasn't sure if they really understood what it was to be part of a pack. Some days she wasn't even sure Scott did.
Then there was Parrish and Theo. Neither of them were pack. Theo, most of the pack didn't trust him, but after he had helped Liam against the ghost riders, he seemed to have gained an alley and Scott hadn't kicked him out of town.
Parrish, hung around but seemed to want to keep his own distance, she just figured Hellhounds didn't have packs. But sometimes she thought she could smell the want on him, when they were all together, so maybe he had other reasons.
Even with all that, Scott was trying. He demanded weekly pack gatherings. Where they hung out, ate, played video games. She wasn't sure it was enough, but it was working. She had been sure that with time, they would be real pack they just needed time.
Then this morning happened.
Stiles called her freaking out about a call he just overheard his dad get. He had called Scott then her, telling them both where to go and to hurry.
Now she was at the school, walking up behind them, a little annoyed at Scott's lack of notice of someone approaching,
she heard Stiles dumb question and couldn't help picking on him. Most of her attention on her young Alpha she could smell to sorrow and angry coming off him. Scott cared too much, something she had tried to understand but couldn't. She cared about her friends; her pack, they were what was important to her. But Scott wanted to save everyone.
He probably wanted to hunt down whoever it was that second, only not knowing who had stopped him from going off for revenge, and she knew when the time came her and the rest of the pack would be right there with him.
"Malia, ready?" Stiles asked as a sleek black impala pulled in the spot Scott had just vacated.
She opened her door and got in just as two men started to get out of the black car. She could smell them as the doors opened, it smelled like they hadn't showered this morning and had been in the car a while. Both men were handsome and well-dressed. Each wearing a clean black and white suit, they had serious looks on their faces. She figured they must have been here to look at the bus. There was something off about them. She wasn't sure what it was but if she had been in her coyote form her heckles would be up and probably growling at them.
One of the men looked at the other and commented, "Is that duct tape holding the tail pipe up?"
"Whoa! Dude, don't talk about Roscoe that way. How would you like it if I started talking about your car?" Stiles had his door open and was leaning part way out, like he might get out and lecture the man more about manners and his jeep. Malia rolled her eyes.
"Stiles…" She hissed and reached across and pulled on his arm. "Not the time."
Stiles pulled his arm out of her grip and glared at the two men.
Then hopped in the jeep and pulled away without another word to them.
Once one the road, she picked up Stiles cell phone and sent out a text. Stiles had a group names Pack on his phone, almost everyone's name and number. She noticed he had Peter's number saved and wondered about messaging him.
Decided he wasn't pack and that if Scott wanted him there he would call the man himself she dropped the phone into her lap.
Hearing Stiles mumbling to himself she looked over at him. He was scowling and muttering about rude people. She smiled, he thought it was cute when he pouted. Not that she would tell him that, or that she was looking at him as cute. She had thought for a while that she liked him and had gone about trying to figure out how humans 'dated.' But she quickly figured out that wasn't what drew her to him, sure she liked Stiles, but not in the way she had thought. Her coyote thought of him as pack before anyone else. So, she become drawn and a little bit possessive over him. Not that Stiles complained he just took it all in his normal, my life is weird I'm used to it, way.
They had become close sense him and Scott had forced her to become human. She had been angry at first because she was confused and lost but now she was grateful. She had a home, her dad, and a pack. And for now, that was all she could want, which is way she was more then happy to sit in a beat up jeep watching her friend muttering to himself about assholes.
Besides she knew what the jeep was important to him, so she didn't mind letting him work out his annoyance.
"You think Scott will be okay?" He asked, when he finally stopped mumbling to himself.
She looked over at him, "He shouldn't blame himself."
"But he will," Stiles said rolling his eyes, "He will tell himself that he should have sensed or smell other's in his territory. He will say that he should have been there to protect those kids." She watched as his hands tightened on the steer wheel, maybe Scott wasn't the only one blaming themselves.
"Stiles," She said softly, "We didn't know. So, there wasn't anything we could have done. But we will find the wolves that attacked them and stop them." She knew he heard the small growl she
let loose, because he turned his head and gave her a small smile.
They drove a few moments in silence as they headed for Stiles house.
"Have you noticed anything odd about Scott lately?" Stiles asked pulling in front of his home.
"What do you mean?" She asked. She wasn't sure why he was asking her, she was told often that she missed things that others saw and found weird.
Stiles sighed, getting out of the jeep. She jumped out and closed her door, moving to stand next to him.
"I don't know." He said, as she took his arm and looped hers through it. "He seems different, quieter, sadder, maybe. I thought it was because of Allison." He gave a sad smile, "But its like there is something else, like he is missing something."
"His pack." Malia said, causing him to stop.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
He watched as the coyote rolled her eyes, "I can feel it." She said, "Like the wolf part of him is reaching out for the rest of his pack. It's worse when he shifts or when he is alone at night." The feeling had caused her to wonder why none of them had ever talked about living together, she knew Derek's old pack, even if they were mostly family, had lived together. It had to make it easier on an Alpha to know his pack was safe and close by. It's why she liked sneaking into Stiles room most nights. Most of them were now 18, so why hadn't anyone thought of moving in together.
"His wolf?" Stiles asked unlocking the front door.
"Yeah." Malia said, "I don't think he had noticed." She said walking away from him and into the kitchen.
Malia could hear Stiles setting up the living room while she looked through his fridge for a drink.
What she said had been true, she could feel Scott's wolf seeking out pack. She hadn't noticed it, not until Derek and Isaac had left. But now she could feel it most days, like the wolf part of Scott was lonely and trying call them back. It was better when the rest of them were together, that's why she hadn't said anything. She thought it was getting better. But if Stiles was noticing then maybe it wasn't.
She walked out of the kitchen, Stiles was sitting on his couch staring at his phone.
"What?" She asked, dropping down next to him.
"I was thinking, I should text him. Tell him what you said, but then I thought maybe this should be a face to face conversation." He sighed and dropped his phone on the table.
"He'll be okay." She said. "He has us."
She heard Stiles laugh and she moved closer, laying her head against his shoulder. Maybe it was because he was the first Packmate she acknowledged or maybe it was because she just like him more then the others, but she liked being around him and marking him with her scent. Not that he could smell it. But Scott could, and she knew he thought it was funny from the number of times, he had noticed and just chuckled. And she knew Scott did it too, because Scott's scent was almost always on Stiles. She had even caught him doing it to her and the others, marking his pack.
"Do you think they can feel it?" Stiles asked. He was laying with his head on her stomach and she was running her fingers over his short hair.
"I can." She said with a shrug.