NinjaFang1331: Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf.

It had been a few weeks since the defeat of Jennifer and Deucalion's Alpha Pack. For a short time, everything had seemed all right. There had been no new reports of a supernatural beast trying to kill people, or hunters trying to attack Scott and his pack. Things were quiet and peaceful. Even Scott's relationship with Loki was good. And then, very suddenly, things began to unravel. One day a few weeks ago, neither Loki nor the twins showed up at school, and no one had seen them since. Stiles began to have nightmares, Scott and Allison were hallucinating – effects of their sacrifice the night of the lunar eclipse.

And there was Malia Tate. A girl who had been missing for eight years, presumed dead in a car crash. Now they knew she was alive, a werecoyote who had been living as a fully shifted coyote in the woods since the car crash. Now, her father, driven to harsh impulsiveness by grief and the sudden reopened investigation of his families' deaths, was trying to kill the coyote. And Scott needed to stop him, needed to change Malia back to human.

Scott, Stiles, and Isaac met with Deaton in the animal clinic. They told him what they needed, and he went into the back room to retrieve it.

"Xylazine," he said as he walked back into the main treatment room. "It's a tranquilizer for horses. For a werecoyote, it should work within seconds. I only have three," he warned, setting down the glass vials on the table with a clink. "So whoever's shooting needs to be a damn good shot."

"Allison's the perfect shot," Scott said confidently.

"She used to be," corrected Isaac.

"She can do it," Scott insisted.

"If we manage to find the thing."

"Okay, what is the point of him?" Stiles asked, pointing at Isaac. He was clearly sick of Isaac's pessimistic attitude. "Seriously, I mean, what is his purpose? Aside from the persistent negativity and the scarf? What's up with the scarf anyway? It's sixty-five degrees out." Isaac smirked, rolling his eyes but otherwise ignoring the irate human.

"Look, maybe I'm asking the question that no one wants to ask here, but how do we turn a coyote back into a girl when she hasn't been a girl for eight years?" They all looked to Scott, who was staring at the table.

"I can do it," he whispered, mostly to himself.

"You can?"

"Yeah, remember the night when Peter trapped as all in the school?" Scott asked, turning to his best friend. "In the gym he was able to force me to turn using just his voice. Deucalion did the same thing in the distillery."

"This is a werecoyote, Scott," Deaton reminded his employee, sounding dubious. "Who knows if it'll even work if you can find someone you can teach you."

"That's why you called Derek first," Stiles said, putting everything together. Scott nodded.

"Yeah," the Alpha sighed. "I – I can try it on my own. But right now I'm too scared to even change into just a werewolf." Stiles rubbed his jaw, looking concerned.

"We need a real Alpha," he murmured. Scott looked at his friend, mildly offended, and Stiles backtracked. He waved his hands in the air, gesticulating wildly as he spoke. "You know what I mean, an Alpha who can do Alpha things. You know, an Alpha who can get it going. You know, get it – "

"Up?" Isaac suggested, sounding somewhat amused at the analogy. Stiles nodded, gesturing to Isaac. Scott groaned, rubbing his temples.

"Great. Now I'm an Alpha with performance issues," he muttered.

"Is there anyone else besides Derek who can help?" Deaton asked, drawing their attention back to the main problem.

"I wouldn't trust Peter," Isaac said. Stiles nodded, tapping his fingers against the table.

"Maybe the twins?" Scott's head shot up.

"They're not Alphas anymore," Deaton reminded the teenagers. "After what Jennifer did, almost killing them? It broke that part of them."

"But Loki is," Scott said. Something had just occurred to him. "We can just ask her. She'll do it. Change Malia back, I mean." Isaac's eyes widened. Somehow, they had all missed the obvious choice after Derek. Loki. There was just one problem with that.

"Scott, you haven't heard from her in weeks." The Beta pointed out. Scott nodded, rubbing his neck.

"I know. But she'll – she'll help me if I ask." Scott sounded like he was trying to convince himself of the fact.

"Or," Stiles said. "We tell the twins, and they tell her." Scott looked mutinously at the ground. Of course Loki would do something if the twins asked it of her. He tried not to be too bitter about that fact, but it was difficult. Especially when he hadn't seen Loki in weeks, and when he knew that wherever she was, she was with the twins.

"Nobody's heard from the twins in weeks either," he said, softly.

"Well, actually that's not totally true," Stiles said. Scott looked up, and realization dawned on him.

Lydia.

Stiles pulled the door to Derek's loft open, and Lydia led the two teen boys down the stairs. All the lights were out, and the loft seemed empty.

"They said they'd meet us here," she said, sounding a little confused. As soon as the words had left Lydia's mouth, Loki stepped into view, and Scott caught his breath. Her curly hair was drawn up onto her head into a ponytail, but her long, thick hair still spilled out to her shoulders. She was wearing ripped up jeans and a cropped tank top, and two of her long, tapered fingers on her right hand were adorned with silver rings. She smiled at him, and it made Scott's chest hurt so much that he almost forgot everything he'd come there to do.

"Scott," she said, reaching out to him. She pulled him down to her height and pressed her lips to his. To the new Alpha, it was achingly familiar. The kiss was over almost as quickly as it had started, and she pulled back slightly. "Do you trust me?" She asked, her voice soft. Scott frowned, dropping his hands to his side.

"Always," he responded, confused. She smiled ruefully, stepping away from him.

"Good." As soon as she'd uttered the word, she raised one booted foot, kicking Scott square in the chest with great force. He flew backwards and hit the ground, groaning. Stiles pulled Lydia out of the way, looking shocked. The True Alpha pushed himself to his feet, gasping, and Loki hit him across the face, hard. She saw the twins appear and descend from the staircase, stepping in front of Lydia and Stiles.

She'd warned them not to intervene unless she said so, but had wanted them along in case things went south. Loki had noticed that since the twins had lost their Alpha status, they were much more likely to listen to her when she asked them to do something. She tried not to abuse her power too much. Loki bent down, picking Scott up by his collar. "Scott," she said calmly. "Fight. Back."

"I thought you were going to help me," he gasped out. One of his cheeks was red from where Loki had hit him.

"I am," Loki insisted. "Scott, you can't come running to me with every problem you have. You need to learn how to be an Alpha. I'm helping you – teaching you to roar. And you do that by giving in – giving in and letting go. It's how Deucalion taught all of us control." She glanced at the twins.

"Hey, you know what, that's funny," Stiles said. "I actually tried something like this once, using a heart monitor and lacrosse balls. But you're right, beating the living crap out of him is probably a lot better."

"That's actually the plan?" Scott said, sounding surprised. He turned from Stiles towards Loki. "You kick my ass?" Loki laughed.

"Scott, it's more complicated than that," she told him. "Right now, you're afraid to turn. I know what it feels like. There was a period of time when I couldn't fully evolve, so Deucalion had Kali and Ennis do this to me, which, trust me? Hurts a lot more than anything I do to you will." She dropped Scott, and his back slammed into the ground. "I'm going to make you shift."

"And then?" Scott asked, wiping blood away from his mouth. Ethan smirked.

"You turn, and then you kick her ass." Loki smiled, her white teeth flashing.

"And then you roar." Aiden added. Loki growled, eyes flashing red and her fangs dropping out.

"What, you think you can't let go with me?" She teased him, circling around her kind-of boyfriend as he got to his feet. "You think you're going to hurt me?" She shoved him back, and he hit Aiden in the chest. The Beta werewolf steadied Scott, pushing him back towards Loki. "Come on Scottie," she whispered, sliding her hand around his neck. It was a familiar movement to Scott, something she often did right before she kissed him, but it felt strang in this context. She let her claws pierce the delicate skin at the nape of his neck, and her eyes glowed crimson again. "Do your worst." Scott shook his head, and Loki sighed, realizing the problem. "You won't hit me back," she murmured, half to herself. She turned towards the twins, tilting her head towards Scott ever so slightly. They understood.

The blonde Betas rushed forward as if they had been waiting for the command. Aiden grabbed Scott, pulling him into a full nelson headlock, and Ethan began to hit him over the face.

"You're an Alpha," Aiden said from behind Scott as he let the struggling boy twist out from his arms. "You want to roar like one? You got to give in, full throttle. You've got to become the monster, become the Beast. Become everything you're afraid of."

"That's what gives you power. It gives you strength." Ethan told him. Scott shook his head, swinging at Aiden. The other werewolf easily dodged the hit, and slammed his elbow into Scott's back. The Alpha fell to the ground, coughing up blood. Loki tensed, watching as Scott pushed himself up slightly.

"Giving in to it doesn't make you the bad guy, Scott," Aiden told the boy on the ground. He coughed in response, bracing an arm around his abdomen.

"So long as you can control it," Ethan corrected, sounding nervous. He glanced at Loki, and she shook her head. Keep going.

"Sometimes control is overrated," Aiden said, kicking Scott in the ribs. The green-eyed girl winced.

"Scott, fight back!" She snarled. The curly haired boy was wincing, leaning back on his hands.

"What if I can't control it?" He gasped out. "What if I can't turn back?" Loki knelt beside Scott, speaking to him gently. He turned towards her.

"Then it takes over," she said. Her green eyes were distant. "You become Malia. You get further and further from being human, you turn into an animal." Her voice held a strange intensity, as though she was speaking from experience. "Or worse. You turn into Peter." This was the push he needed. Scott scrambled to his feet and screamed, rushing at Aiden with his fists up. The other werewolf easily caught Scott, slamming him into the table behind him and hitting the other boy across the face over and over. Loki watched, face set in a grimace, flinching every time her friend's hand made contact with Scott's face. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Aiden, enough!" She set forward, and Ethan reacted immediately, grabbing his twin and holding his arm back.

"What?" Aiden snapped back. "I thought we were helping him."

"I think we helped too much," Loki said quietly, including herself in the guilty party. Aiden's hand slackened and fell to his side as he realized the damage he'd done. Ethan helped his twin down from the table and Loki leaned over Scott. He looked up at her, and saw that her hazel eyes were sad and remorseful.

Stiles moved over to his best friend, helping him sit up. Scott was clearly dazed, but he managed to look Loki in the eye. Ignoring the blood on his face, she leaned in and kissed him gently. He clutched her close to him as her lips brushed over his cheeks and his crooked jawline. She could feel his heart beating hard against her ribcage, slowing slightly as the threat was over.

"I'm sorry," she murmured to him, brushing a hand through his hair. Scott didn't answer, just closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against her shoulder.

Before she pulled away, she whispered in his ear. "You can't let fear rule your life," she told him. She pressed her hand to his chest, right over his heart, and looked down. "I'll tell you how I learned that lesson once you help Malia." He looked at her and she brushed her fingers against his cheek. "And you can do it."

Scott entered his room, head down, with a smile on his face. He had done it. Rubbing a hand over his eyes, he flicked the light on. He was only half-surprised to see Loki sitting on his bed. She smiled coyly at him, wiggling her fingers in a wave. Scott laughed, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey." Scott grinned, walking over to her and collapsing on the bed next to her.

"Hey," he said. She pulled him up, kissing him gently. He kissed her back. "I think you owe me a story," he murmured against her skin. He felt her smile, and he ducked his head to kiss her protruding collarbone.

"If you insist." Scott pulled away to let her talk, and she looked back at him. "Scott, the reason I wouldn't help you change Malia back directly wasn't because I thought it was a good time for a lesson. It was because I wasn't sure it was the right thing to do." Scott stared at her, and she held up a hand. "Objectively, you saved her life, I know that. But Scott," Loki hesitated. "I was like Malia once." She pressed her lips together. "For – almost a year after I killed the Alpha who killed my parents, I didn't leave the shift. I lived as a wolf. And I still don't know what it is today, but something made me want to change back." Loki shook her head. "Considering the fact that Malia lived in a coyotes body for eight years, I wasn't sure if she couldn't change back or she didn't want to." Scott stared at Loki.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

"Because I didn't want my opinion to cloud your judgment," she told him. Her eyes were hard. "Scott, being Alpha, especially when you've got the heart that you go, you're going to have to learn to make hard decisions." Loki took Scott's hand in hers. "You stopped a man from killing the last living member of his family. That is a good thing to do. The rest of it doesn't matter."

"But you said –"

"I said what I think." Loki looked Scott in the eye. "I weighed my decisions the opposite way. That doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it wrong. But it makes it mine. You need to make your own decisions, Scott." Loki's mouth twisted sadly. "Besides, your heart is in a better place than mine." Scott tilted his head, and the girl dropped her gaze. "I would have let her fate run its own course. You choose to intervene." Scott ignored this, instead placing his hands on Loki's waist. It had only been a few weeks, but being back in her presence after not seeing her was making him incredibly single-minded.

"You should stay tonight," was all he said as he pulled Loki down on top of him.

Loki climbed off her bike, following the twins over to Scott. He seemed surprised to see them there.

"You're back in school?" he asked, directing his question at Loki. Loki rolled her eyes and said nothing, letting the twins talk.

"No. Just here to talk," Ethan said calmly. Stiles had spotted the confrontation across the parking lot and came running over.

"Oh. That's kind of a change of pace for you guys," said the human, Isaac following closely behind him. "Seeing as usually you're just hurting, maiming, killing." Aiden scoffed derisively, ignoring Stiles and focusing on Scott.

"You need a pack," he said. "We need an Alpha." Scott looked at the small, nearly delicate looking girl standing in between the two hulking twins. As usual, her hair was tied away from her face, accentuating her high cheekbones and drawing attention to the dark freckles splattered across her cheeks and nose.

"Loki's an Alpha," he said. The dark-skinned girl smiled.

"I'm not their Alpha," she said, voice steady. "Scott, you and I need each other. You're a natural born leader who has no idea how to be an Alpha. I've been an Alpha for over a decade, but I have no idea how to be a leader. We can work together." Her green-flecked eyes were wide and hopeful.

"Yeah," Stiles drawled, shaking his head. "Absolutely not. That's hilarious though."

"You come to us for help," Ethan reminded Scott. "We helped." Stiles glared at the three werewolves standing in front of him.

"You beat his face into a bloody pulp! That's not helping. In my opinion, that's actually counter-productive." Loki rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Mr. I-did-this-once-with-lacrosse-balls." Stiles waved a hand in her direction, dismissing her sarcastic remark. His eyes were focused on his best friend, as though Stiles could veer Scott's mind in the correct direction simply by staring at him.

"Why would I say yes?" Scott asked, looking from Loki to the twins.

"We'd add strength. We'd make you more powerful," Aiden listed.

"Scott, there's no reason to say no," Loki said quietly. Stiles scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I can think of a few," Isaac spoke up. "Like the two of you holding Derek's claws while Kali impaled Boyd." His eyes flicked over to Loki. "Like you lying to Scott so that he'd join your little Alpha pack. How'd that work out for you, huh?" Loki's jaw clenched. "In fact, I don't know why we're not impaling them right now." A growl rumbled in Aiden's throat, and his eyes glowed a deep blue.

"You want to try?" He asked, showing his fangs. Isaac stepped forward, and Scott grabbed his wrist, shooting his Beta a warning glare.

"Boys," Loki warned, still standing behind the twins.

"I'm not doing anything," Ethan snapped back. Loki rolled her eyes and shook her head at her friends childishness.

"Aiden!" The werewolf stepped back reluctantly. Scott turned towards the three in front of him.

"I'm sorry, but they don't trust you," he said, meaning his friends. "And neither do I."

"You trust Loki," Ethan said. Scott nodded once. He raised his eyebrows at the girl, silently offering her to come with him. He could tell she knew what he was thinking, but she didn't move a muscle.

"But I know you three are a package deal," Scott reminded the twins. As Scott and his friends pushed past her, Loki called out quietly. The three turned back.

"Just remember," she said, voice low. Her eyes were focused on Isaac as she spoke. "We lost people too."

"What now?" Ethan asked. Loki sat on the nearest bike, crossing her legs elegantly. She shrugged. She knew that even if she was an Alpha, the twins and her needed Scott. And he might not know it in the moment, but he would need them. Aiden's eyes were focused on the brick sign of the high school, which was currently covered with toilet paper, and he smiled. Loki had known him long enough to guess what his mischievous look meant, and her eyes widened with horror, and she sat up.

"No," she and Ethan said at the exact same time. Aiden shrugged.

"We never finished," he pointed out.

"And we don't have to," Ethan said.

"What if I want to?" Loki and Ethan exchanged a look, and then stared at Aiden in abject horror.

"You want to go back to high school," Loki repeated. "I think dying had more of an effect on your brain than I thought. You are clearly not thinking logically." Loki's eyes narrowed as though something had occurred to her. "Is this about Lydia?"

"This is about getting Scott to change his mind," Aiden responded. "We're not just Betas. We're not strong enough by ourselves. It doesn't matter that Loki's an Alpha, all three of us are Omegas. The bitches, remember? And when everyone we've screwed over finds out we don't have a pack anymore, what do you think is going to happen? We're dead on our own." Ethan shook his head.

"Dead's still better than being back in high school," he muttered. "I'm not doing it, no way." He turned back to his motorcycle, ready to leave. Aiden's eyes trailed from his twin to something behind Ethan's shoulder. He smiled. Ethan glared at him. "What?" Loki saw what Aiden was looking at and chuckled. Ethan turned around, and his face dropped. Danny was sitting on a bench, talking to another guy – flirting with him. Ethan sighed, and turned back around. "I'm not taking math." Aiden shrugged, just glad to have won the argument.

"I'll take it for you." The twins turned towards Loki, and she shrugged, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever."

Scott and Stiles entered the school building, and a toilet paper roll hit Stiles in the face almost immediately.

"Whoa – hey, that's my face, okay?" He shouted at the person who'd thrown it. Then, turning to Scott. "Okay, dude? Good decision. Good Alpha decision." Stiles steered the two of them in the direction of his locker. Scott nodded, sighing deeply.

"I hope so," he said, remembering Loki's words from a few nights before.

"No, you know so," Stiles said, heading to his locker. Scott spotted Kira across the hallway. She was struggling to put her stuff away, dropping it everywhere. A smile spread across his face – it was kind of endearing. Then his smile faded when he pictured Loki.

"What are you looking at?" Stiles asked his friend, following Scott's gaze.

"Me? Nothing," Scott said, feeling guilty. It wasn't really like he and Loki were exclusive, or even dating, but he still felt bad. As though he was betraying her somehow.

"You looking at her?" Stiles asked, ignoring the 'nothing.' "You like her? Kira?"

"No," Scott sounded defensive. "I mean, she's okay. She's new." Scott said this as though it was some sort of claim that would end all further arguments Stiles might have. It didn't.

"So, ask her out," Stiles said. Scott exhaled in irritation.

"It's not that simple." Stiles rolled his eyes, slamming his locker shut and turning to his friend.

"Scott, come on. How much longer do you really think this thing with Loki is going to last? I mean, she was lying to you for basically your entire relationship. You saw what she did in the parking lot just now! She picked the twins, the murderous twins, over you. I mean, really." Scott scowled, looking at the ground and ignoring his friend's speech. Stiles knew that he'd hit a sore spot for Scott. Before he could continue his rant, someone grabbed Scott's elbow. The Alpha turned, and to his surprise, Loki was standing there. She flashed him her dazzling smile.

"Can we talk?"

"So, you three are back in school," Scott said. He'd had first free that day, and it gave him and Loki time to talk. The girl was leaning against the teachers desk of an empty classroom, and Scott was standing across from her.

"Effective immediately, yes," she said drily. "Aiden's idea." Scott raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected that.

"Loki, why do you three need me?" He asked. "I mean, you are an Alpha." Loki's eyes darkened. She looked around before answering him.

"Scott, everyone in the Alpha Pack has – had – a reputation. Mine was…a little different that the others." Scott frowned.

"What do you mean?" Loki shook her head.

"Word on the supernatural block is that I'm essentially a joke. A weak psychopath." Scott's eyes widened and Loki nodded, snorting. "Bet you don't hear those two words together that often, huh? But I mean, what kind of seven year old kills twenty-plus mostly innocent people, and then cane never stomach the thought of killing again, right?" Looking at the ceiling, she continued. "Ethan and Aiden lost the ability to merge. That also has them lose most of their street cred. Even if one of our enemies has to go through me to get to them, the three of us don't stand a chance." Scott realized what she was saying.

"You don't kill," he said. Loki nodded.

"And the twins probably can't, not anymore. But so many of our enemies do, or will." Loki leaned in closer to him, eyes intense. "Scott," she took his hand. "I know what the twins have done, what all three of us have done. And I'm sorry. But Scott, I'm begging you." Her eyes were wide and beseeching. "We're dead without you. Please." Scott stared at her, heart hammering in her chest. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Loki," he breathed out. "Whatever I feel for you personally has no reflection on my answer. The other night, you told me that I'd have to learn to make hard decisions. I guess this is the first." Scott backed away, guilt welling up inside of him. "Whatever I feel for you, I feel it very deeply," he said honestly. It wasn't quite an I-love-you , but it was the most intimate thing he'd ever said to her, and his words made Loki's breath caught in her chest. "I would always welcome you in my pack. It's the twins I'm not sure about." Scott stared at Loki, silently willing her to say yes. When she lifted her head, her jaw was set in a tight line.

"I understand," she said. "But I can't abandon them." Not after everything else that has happened to them. Scott nodded. He'd known this would be her answer, he'd known that Loki would never abandon the twins, at least not for Scott. The thought made the True Alpha's heart ache.

For all Loki's charisma and smooth talking, she had a hard time putting her real emotions into words. She could lie and manipulate him without breaking a sweat, but trying to have a conversation with Scott about how she actually felt? That was hard.

But, actions sometimes speak louder than words. Loki stood, walking over to Scott. She slid a hand over his neck, pulling him closer to her, and pressed her lips to his. His hands moved to her waist.

He knew what she was trying to say. He understood.

Loki followed Scott as he maneuvered through the crowded hallways, looking for his friends. He slowed to a halt outside of a history classroom, tilting his head as though he was listening to something. Loki frowned, straining her ears to catch the conversation that Scott was interested in.

"…a beautiful girl. Someone will show an interest. How could they not?" Loki didn't recognize the voice that was talking, nor did she the one that spoke next.

"The only thing that's shown an interest in me is a rabid coyote."

"Well, maybe you should date the coyote."

"I don't want to date. And I definitely don't need a boyfriend. I just want a few friends." Loki looked towards Scott, preparing to ask who the two people talking were and why Scott cared enough to listen. The question died on his lips when she saw his face. He looked almost…disappointed. At the girl's words? Discomfort bloomed in Loki's chest.

An unfamiliar emotion rose in Loki. The look on Scott's face, so open and honest, made her uncomfortable.

"Who's talking? The girl?" Loki's words were sharper than intended, and Scott stared at her as though he'd just remembered she was there. His eyes wide with guilt, which didn't reassure Loki. Before he could answer, Stiles skidded to halt in front of Scott.

"Hey, dude! Where have you been?" Lydia ran up to the three teens.

"The police are leaving," she said breathlessly, a definitive note of panic in her voice. "Why are they leaving?"

"The police?" Scott asked, sounding shocked. He looked from Lydia to Stiles, but neither of them bothered to explain. Loki listened with mild-concern, as she forced herself to compartmentalize the way she'd felt when she'd seen Scott's face.

"They must have cleared the buildings and grounds, which means he's not here," Stiles muttered.

"What's going on? What are you guys – " Lydia cut Scott off.

"He has to be here!" She insisted. "That sound? The buzzing I've been hearing?" She gulped. "It's getting louder." Stiles sighed, and Scott continued to look confused.

"How loud?" The human teen asked. Lydia didn't answer, but it was clear on her face. She was hyperventilating every so slightly, and her expression displayed clear discomfort.

Very loud.

"Scott, this is insane," Stiles told his friend, glancing over at Loki as he attempted to keep from being heard by the werewolf. She was on the phone, filling whichever twin was on the other line in on what was happening.

"Stiles, it'll be fine," Scott said confidently. "Loki is an amazing tracker, better than me. And it can't hurt to have the twins on our side for this, as long as they're here." Stiles shook his head disapprovingly.

"What happened to the whole 'my friend don't trust you, I don't either,' thing you had going on this morning?" Scott shrugged, turning back to Loki. The girl seemed to be finishing her conversation.

"I trust her," Scott said. "And she trusts them." Scott turned back towards his old friend. "That may not be enough for me to let them into the pack, but it's enough for now."

Scott held the bag of clothes that his mother had given to him in his hands. He, along with the twins, Isaac, and Loki were huddled together in a corner of the school.

"Lydia thinks he's still here even though the cops searched the whole school," Scott told the Betas and the other Alpha. But they didn't have one thing." He opened the bag and pulled out a bundle of fabric. "Our sense of smell." He offered it to Loki, and she took the bundle from his hand and held it up to her nose. Her nostrils flared as she internalized the smell, and then she passed it to Isaac who was standing next to her. Scott looked at Loki.

"I'll go with the twins," she said to him. "You and Isaac start on the east side and we'll work out way back to the center. Meet in the boiler room." Scott nodded, and the five werewolves split up. Loki led the twins towards the east side of the basement. As the three werewolves worked their way down, Aiden began to grumble about Isaac.

"You do realize he wants us dead, right, Lo?" Aiden ranted. Loki hummed.

"Can you blame him?" Aiden scoffed.

"That's not really the point." Loki rolled her eyes.

"Well, either way, shut up. Barrow's human. He'll make noise as well as giving off a scent." Aiden sniffed rather indignantly, but obeyed Loki's request. She slid around a corner, her feet moving noiselessly over the ground. Loki's sensitive ears pricked, and she halted.

"You got something?" Aiden whispered. Ethan was tensed next to her. He heard it to. Loki held up her hand to signal them to stay back, but Ethan ignored her, rounding the corner quickly.

Instead of seeing the man they were looking for, however, they found Danny. He was with another boy, and they were kissing. The sudden presence of three other people made him stop, and both boys looked up. When he saw Ethan, the human's eyes widened and he stepped away from the guy he was with, looking at his ex-boyfriend sheepishly. Aiden started laughing, raising a fist to muffle his snickers, and Loki bit her lip hard to contain her amusement. Ethan, on the other hand, seemed to be quite the opposite of amused.

"Oh really?" he said, sounding unimpressed. Danny rubbed the back of his neck. Loki cleared her throat.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, her lips twitching.

"I'm not," Ethan muttered. Loki snorted, grabbing her friend's shirt and pulling him away. As the twins and Loki moved away from Ethan's ex and further towards their ultimate destination of the boiler room, Ethan was noticeably sulkier. Loki pushed open the swinging doors that led to another room, but before she could enter, the fire alarm rang. She blinked in surprise, turning towards the twins.

"Come on."

Loki jogged after her two friends as the three werewolves ran over to rendezvous with Scott, Isaac, Stiles and Lydia.

The group huddled near the picnic tables as the fire alarm continued to blare inside the building. It was loud enough that it still rose slight discomfort in all the werewolves' sensitive ears. Students milled around, chatting amongst themselves, but no one payed the group any attention.

"We didn't find anything," Aiden said.

"Well, unless you count Ethan's ex and his new lover." Immature, yes, but Loki couldn't resist the jibe. Ethan punched her on the shoulder, not lightly. "Ow."

"We didn't either, not even a scent," Scott said, ignoring the exchange between the two.

"It's three o'clock, school's over," Stiles said, visibly confused. "If there was a bomb, wouldn't he have set it off by now?"

"Does that mean everyone's safe?" Ethan asked hopefully. The question was rhetorical, but Lydia took it upon herself to answer.

"I don't know," she murmured, clearly wary. "I just – I don't know."

Loki was sprawled her bed, tossing and turning in a fitful sleep. Her body was covered by a thin sheen of sweat. A piercing scream echoed through her dream, sending needles into her brain, and she shot up, panting. A strangled gasp emitted from her throat as she fought to catch her breath.

Ethan opened the door to her room, his brother hovering just behind his shoulder. Their foreheads were creased in identical concern.

"You okay?" Loki swiped a hand across her face and nodded.

"Fine," she rasped, sitting up in bed.

"We were hoping that you'd finally get some sleep," Aiden muttered from behind his twin. Loki rolled her eyes. The twins worried too much, which was endearing, but also at times, like right now, quite irritating.

"I'm fine," she said, flopped back down. "Go away." Ignoring her, the twins did the exact opposite of what she wanted, and sat at the foot of her bed. Loki groaned, pulling her pillow over her head.

"Oh my god. You guys. I'm fine. This has been happening for years, we don't need to have a dramatic, Hollywood-style heart-to-heart about our problems." One of them - she was pretty sure it was Aiden - snorted, but neither twin spoke. Loki was quiet for a few minutes, but the question she'd been dying to ask for weeks sat in her chest, choking her. Finally, it burst out. "Do you guys miss them?" She didn't need to clarify that she was talking about their former pack mates.

Aiden reached out, tugging the pillow out of her grasp. She followed his hands, sitting up and smoothing back her hair as unruly curls fell over her eyes. Aiden's eyes were dark and sad. It was Ethan who spoke, but Loki knew he was talking for both of them.

"All the time."

k so sorry for the end it's kinda irrelevant, but like, i really love the idea of the alpha pack actually being friends. it's kinda dumb, but idk.

this chapter's kinda a filler before the real action

anyways, please leave a review and tell me what you think!