Marlow and Mason walked into school. The dead pool had been done for a few days and Marlow couldn't have been happier about it. She explained to Mason in great fake detail why she suddenly left that night. He was skeptical but eventually believed her.

Marlow also had to explain herself to her dad. He wasn't happy about her picking up a fight against professional assassins but understood that she did what she had to help Scott protect Satomi's pack.

The young werecoyote was looking forward to the rest of the year playing out in peace. She wanted to hang out with Mason more and let the rest of the pack prepare for their senior year. Mason had been saying something but Marlow got so lost in her thoughts that she wasn't listening.

"Marls!" Mason suddenly said.

Marlow shook her head and looked at him. "Hmm?"

"I said, did you notice how distant Liam has been lately?" he asked her again. Marlow let out a light sigh. Yes, she knew Liam was distancing himself from people and she knew why too. But she couldn't tell him that without revealing her secret to him.

"Uhhh, yeah. I think he might just be going through a rough patch. I mean, you know what he's like. He hardly ever articulates his feelings well."

Mason nodded. "Yeah, I know. But I'm getting worried."

Marlow felt bad. Liam was Mason's best friend too and he wouldn't open up to him just because he couldn't. She was seriously considering just telling Mason everything. Marlow stopped in her tracks. "Listen, I could try and talk to him. Maybe he'll open up to someone he hasn't know as long."

Mason shrugged. "You can try but I doubt he'll tell you anything."

Marlow put her arm around Mason's shoulder. "I'll get behind his problems. Trust me. In no time you'll have your bestie back the way he was when you first met him."

Mason was quiet for a second. "Will I also have my other bestie back? You know, will she be like she was five years ago when she wasn't keeping secrets from me?"

Marlow's arm stiffened around Mason's shoulder. She sighed. "One day, Mason. One day I will let you in on all of my scandalous secrets."

After school Marlow walked outside with Scott. She didn't know what to do about the whole Mason situation. She wanted to tell him everything but something held her back. "Marlow?"

Marlow was once again ripped out of her thoughts. Scott let out a slight laugh. "You're being uncharacteristically quiet today. What's up?" he asked. Marlow shrugged. "Is it about the assassins?"

Marlow shook her head. "No. It's...Mason."

"What about Mason?" Scott asked.

"He knows that Liam is acting weird and that I've been keeping secrets from him and I don't know what to tell him anymore."

Scott stopped walking and Marlow turned around to face him. She sighed. "Why don't you just tell him? We said it's okay like a year ago."

She threw her head back. "I don't know!" she admitted.

Scott gave her a light smile. "Are you scared to tell him?"

Marlow was silent for a few seconds. "I guess so." she finally said. "I just don't want to lose him as a friend. He's such a good one, man."

Scott nodded. "He is. Which is why I seriously doubt he'll scream and run after you tell him," he told her. Marlow sighed again.

Suddenly Scott turned his head from her and looked away. Marlow narrowed her eyes. She didn't want to deal with more supernatural drama so soon. "What?"

"Come with me," he said and ran off.

Marlow sighed but rushed after him. The two arrived at the workout room where Liam was laying on a bench, about to be strangled by weights. Scott ran up to him and helped Liam lift the weight until he wasn't in danger anymore. Mason had run in and stood there giving Liam a shocked look. Liam coughed out, trying to catch his breath.

"Liam?" Mason asked.

"I'm fine." Liam coughed out. Marlow shook her head.

Scott kneeled to Liam's level. "If you don't want to be with us, that's okay. But don't push your friends away too," he told him.

Liam looked at Mason then Marlow. She didn't know what to tell Liam or Mason. Sometimes she missed those easier times where she didn't have to keep secrets from the people she loved most every day.

Marlow walked up to Liam's house a few hours later. She wanted to talk to him personally to find out what was specifically plaguing him. She waited for a bit before knocking on the door. Liam opened it after a minute. He gave Marlow a surprised look and she gave him a quick wave. "Hi." she greeted with a smile.

"Hey." he greeted back. "I wasn't expecting you."

Marlow laughed a little. "Yeah, sorry. I just wanted to talk to you about something," she told him. Liam nodded and stepped aside to let her into the house. Marlow walked in and he closed the door.

"So, what is it you need to talk to me about?"

Marlow fiddled with backpack straps. "Well, I just want to know what's going on with you," she told him. Liam stiffened for a second before giving her a look. "You don't have to lie to me. I know you can't tell Mason about this and I also know how tough it can be to tell your problems to people two years older than you," she told him. She raised her hands. "But I'm here now. And trust me, I'm the person you can relay your problems too. I won't judge and I won't tell anyone else if you ask me to."

Liam sat down on the nearby couch. He motioned for Marlow to sit as well. She stripped off her backpack and sat down next to him. "It's just that I am slightly embarrassed about it."

Marlow crossed one leg over the other. "You don't have to be. I won't laugh and the pack won't either. You would not believe the things we've seen over the past few years."

He nodded. "Yeah, I heard."

"So, just go ahead and tell me because chances are it's something we can work out together."

Liam sighed. "It's the Berserkers."

Marlow nodded. "Thought so."

Liam leaned back on the couch. "I see them everywhere I go. I see them when I try to sleep when I try to do school work. I see them when I hang out with Mason. I can't get them out of my head."

Marlow turned in her seat so she could face Liam. "That is understandable," she said. He looked up at her. "Liam, you've been a werewolf for all of a month. This is your first big bad. That doesn't just go over your head as if nothing happened. They tried to kill you and now you're scared. I'm scared too, trust me."

"What you can do to get past it, is take control of the situation. Remember that you're never gonna be alone. Like, you're not gonna be able to to get rid of us even if you tried." she told him jokingly. He laughed a little. "I'm serious Liam. We're always gonna be here for you. Just don't ice us out. Especially not Mason. He doesn't deserve that. You don't even have to tell him the truth. Just make up a lie about bullies or whatever. One day we'll tell him about all of this. It's just that I would prefer to do it when we aren't in the middle of a situation."

He nodded and smiled at her. "You're right. I'll talk to him before the game tonight."

Marlow grinned and slightly hit Liam in the shoulder. "There you go!"

"I really like you," he told her all of a sudden. Marlow's heart skipped a beat and her eyes went wide for a second. Maybe she had just been oblivious to it but she did believe the two weren't flirting. Yeah, there was the kiss at the bonfire but that was because the music had Liam acting crazy.

"Uhm." she choked out. There was a flash of regret that crossed Liam's eyes and he quickly sat up.

Marlow's phone rang. Saved by the bell. She answered it. "Hey, Dad!"

"Marlow! When are you getting home? I wanna take you guys out to dinner."

Marlow sat up on the couch. "Uhm, I can be home in about twenty minutes."

"Do you need me to come to pick you up?"

Marlow shook her head even though her dad couldn't see it over the phone. "No, I'll walk," she told him. She got up off the couch and put her backpack on. "See you in a bit," she said and then hung up the phone. "My dad wants me home," she told Liam. He nodded. Marlow turned back to him wants more. "Well, I'm glad I could help you with this. See you at the game tomorrow?" she asked. She knew he probably felt embarrassed all over again but she didn't know how to start that entire conversation.

He nodded. "Yeah, totally."

He walked her to the door and before she exited the house she looked at him one more time. "I'll be in the stands. If you need me something to keep you calm, just look over at me," she told him with a smile. He smiled back and she walked out the door.

Marlow walked into her house still thinking about what had just happened. She didn't see the signs and was beginning to think she was stupid for it. She walked up the stairs to her brother's room where she could already hear him and their dad talking. "I have never been so happy to have almost been murdered." she heard Stiles say.

Marlow knocked onto the wood frame of his door. "You have never been happy because of what now?"

Stiles waved an envelope in her face. "Marlow, Eichen House relieved us of our debt because of what Brunski did."

Marlow understood why he was excited about the bill being nullified but she couldn't understand why he was so happy about almost being murdered. Malia was laying on Stiles' bed with a textbook in front of her. She quietly observed the scene. "Well, we're not out of it yet. But We're going to be okay." Noah chimed in. Marlow smiled at him. They hadn't been this carefree in a while. "And at least for the moment, I can afford to take my daughter and son and his girlfriend out to dinner."

Noah turned to Malia. "Malia, what's your favorite food?"

"Deer," Malia answered bluntly.

There was a beat of silence as Marlow stifled a laugh. "Pizza." Stiles finally said. Malia's smile faltered. "She likes pizza," he added. Malia smiled at them again. She got up off the bed and they took off for some pizza.

The next morning things seemed to look a little brighter. Mason was happier than he had been in days and Liam seemed to be calmer as well. Scott and Kira hadn't shown up in school, which worried Marlow a bit. Stiles assured her that he had gotten a text from Scott and that he and Kira would just be a little late. Marlow wasn't completely satisfied with that explanation but let it go nonetheless.

Marlow met Mason by his locker and the two started discussing the Cyclone's first lacrosse game of the season which would happen that night. "Are you still looking for a lacrosse player to courtesy?" Marlow asked jokingly. "Or are you looking forward to seeing Brett shirtless again?"

Mason rolled his eyes. "Maybe I want to do both. It's 2014, Marlow. Let me live." he told her. Both of them laughed.

"I gotta tell you something," Marlow said.

Mason looked at her. "Go ahead."

Marlow sighed. "Don't make a big deal out of it but Liam told me he likes me. Really likes me," she said. Mason fought the urge to smirk. Marlow knew he wanted more than anything to break out into a victory dance but she was ready to crush that victorious feeling in a flash. "I didn't say it back." she immediately informed him.

Mason let out an annoyed groan. "Why not?"

"Because I hadn't even noticed that he liked me all that much," Marlow told him.

"How?!" Mason asked a little too loudly. Some students stared at them and Marlow hit Mason in the arm. "Sorry," he said quietly. "But seriously, how?"

Marlow shrugged. "I don't know."

Mason pulled her to the side next to a row of lockers. "Marlow, have you ever even kissed someone?"

Marlow rolled her eyes. "No, and you know it too. Unless you count that drunken lip attack Liam carried out on me during the bonfire."

"Let's just say that doesn't count. But for real, you have very much been flirting with Liam for a whole month now."

"Have I though?" Marlow asked.

"Yes!" Mason told her.

Marlow leaned on a locker with a defeated sigh. "What do I do, Mase?"

Mason leaned on another locker. "Talk to him. But first, figure out whether or not you actually like him," he told her. Marlow sighed. Mason was right and she knew it too.

That night people slowly filed into the bleachers to watch the Cyclones play against Devenford Prep again. If it went down anything like last time, no one would walk away with a happy feeling from this. Marlow and Mason sat down on a bench a few rows over the one where her Dad and Malia sat. "Dad!" Marlow yelled. He turned back to her and smiled. She waved at him. He waved back and turned back to the field. Marlow leaned in closer to Mason. "How much hope do you have that they'll win this game?" she asked him.

Mason cringed. He waved his hand. "Little bit," he said. Marlow let out a laugh. Stiles and Liam were already sitting with the Cyclones and getting ready for the game. Scott and Kira were still nowhere to be seen. Liam kept looking around him worriedly. Marlow thought back to the scrimmage for a second. Just a month ago an assassin who tried to kill her and her friends sat next to her and Mason, pretending to be their friend. But she was dead now and the dead pool has been stopped.

The ref blew the whistle and the game started. Stiles got knocked on his ass more times than Marlow could count and her hopes of them winning were destroyed almost instantly. It was almost half time and Cyclones still had zero on the board.

Coach was getting angrier by the second. Devenford Prep scored once more. "Come on!" Coach yelled angrily and the ref blew the whistle. The players took a break and Marlow and Mason shared a look. They had sat through enough games to know that Coach wouldn't walk away from this with a victorious grin on his face. "Stupid! Stupid old-" Coach yelled, aggressively throwing his clipboard onto the field.

Stiles got up from the bench and walked over to Noah. They had a brief conversation. Marlow tucked her hair behind her ear and listened in. "Want me to stay here if he shows up?" Malia asked Stiles.

"Yes," Stiles told her and rushed off with Noah.

Marlow had no idea why the two were leaving in the middle of the game so she leaned forward to get Malia's attention. "Mal!"

Malia turned back to her. Marlow raised her hands questioningly. "They're looking for Scott and Kira." Malia calmly told her.

Marlow narrowed her eyes. "Are they okay?" she asked. Malia shrugged and turned back to the field. Marlow leaned back in her seat.

"Everything okay?" Mason asked.

Marlow quickly nodded. "Yeah. Scott and Kira just had their first date yesterday and seem to be MIA," she explained. "My dad and Stiles are looking for them right now," she added. Mason nodded.

"Liam! Get on the field!" Coach demanded and Liam rushed out onto the field.

"Uch, Coach is gonna is be a pain tomorrow if they lose the game tonight." Marlow sighed.

Mason nodded. "I am not looking forward to econ."

The game started once more. Liam finally got an edge on Devenford and almost scored a goal. His attempts were thwarted by another Devenford player at the last second. A collective groan went through the crowd. Marlow and Mason looked at each other. "We could just skip tomorrow," she told him. He laughed.

They looked back out onto the field. Liam was frozen in fear as the game continued. "Liam, for the love of God, move!" Coach yelled.

Liam snapped back into reality and looked over at the bleachers. Devenford scored again. "Liam!" Marlow yelled. He looked at her. She gave him a thumbs up. "You got this."

He didn't look too happy though and the game went on. Marlow watched as Peter walked up to Malia and sat down next to her. She narrowed her eyes at the scene. Peter wasn't one to be keen on family time and Marlow had never liked the idea of Malia developing any sort of bond with Peter. He wasn't good news and Marlow didn't think that she would ever trust him. "So, who's winning?"

Marlow balled her fists so hard she was afraid her nails would dig into her palms. She peeled her eyes away from them and looked back out onto the field where Brett had just tackled Liam for seemingly no reason. "That was so not following regulations," she told Mason.

He shook his head. Liam and Brett argued. The ref rushed up to them. Both boys broke apart and the game continued. Marlow glanced over at Malia and Peter. "I told you not to come here," Malia told Peter. Marlow calmed down a bit as she realized Malia wasn't too keen on father-daughter time with Peter either.

She kept listening. Peter was up to something. He always was. "If you want to have a clandestine meeting you need to choose a clandestine location," Peter told her.

"After what happened with you and Meredith, I'm pretty sure I can do without any kind of one-on-one father-daughter time," Malia told him. Marlow smirked.

"How about mother-daughter time?" Peter asked. Marlow narrowed her eyes. Malia looked at Peter. "That's right. I found our Desert Wolf."

"Is she definitely my mother?" Malia asked.

"Yes," Peter answered. "But if you want to find her, you're going to have to do something for me. Something that's come naturally to you for a very long time."

Marlow shook her head. She knew it. There was always something with Peter. "Do you always have to get something in return?" Malia asked.

"When it's something I can't do on my own? Yes." Peter told her.

"What do you want?" Malia asked after a beat of silence.

Peter turned his head. "I want you to kill Kate Argent," he said. Marlow's eyes widened. She took out her phone and sent a text to Stiles. She would not stand by and watch Peter drag Malia down in the gutter with him. Stiles didn't get back to her. The game ended. Beacon Hills lost, as per usual.

The crowd dispersed and Marlow said goodbye to Mason. She had to talk to Liam before looking for her dad and Stiles. She nearly ran into Brett on her way to the locker room. "Sorry," she said quickly.

"No problem," he told her. He walked past her and Marlow walked into the locker room. Liam was sitting on a bench, his lacrosse stick sitting in his lap.

Marlow sat down next to him. "So," she said. "That sucked."

Liam nodded. He laughed under his breath. "It did."

"Get used to that. The Cyclones suck," she told him. Both laughed. The room was silent and Marlow couldn't hold it in anymore. "I'm sorry for just running away from you yesterday."

He waved his hand. "That's my fault. I was way too forward."

Marlow gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Good," she said. Liam gave her a confused look. "If you hadn't said something, I might have never figured out that we've apparently been flirting for a whole month," she told him. He smiled at her. "I just needed a bit of time to think about it," she told him.

"And?" he asked.

Marlow shrugged. She had never been on a date or in a serious relationship with anyone. But that was because she was too young and most people avoided her at all costs. She looked at Liam. "We could go on a date. See what happens."

"Really?"

Marlow nodded. "Absolutely," she said. Marlow lightly slapped his thigh and got up off the bench. "I'll let you change. We need to go find Stiles and my dad," she told him. He nodded. His serious face was back and Marlow walked out of the locker room.

Her phone finally rang and her heart skipped a beat. It was Stiles. She answered and he didn't even give her time to say 'hello'. "I need you at Derek's loft, like right now."

Marlow's heart skipped a beat. "What happened?" she asked immediately.

"Scott and Kira and were taken."