Two hands clamped down on my shoulders, eliciting a startled gasp from between my lips. Scott had spun around to face me and his brown eyes were boring into mine, a mix of panic and terror swirling in his orbs.

"They're heading to the parking lot. Go!" Scott ordered and then released me, gently nudging me in that direction.

Without hesitation, I turned on my heel and took off in a deep sprint for the school. I was half expecting someone to follow me, either Derek or Boyd, and try to stop me from going inside. However, neither of them even twitched when I moved and that outcome seemed to worry me even more. I didn't stop until I passed the locker rooms and burst into the main hallway.

I whipped my head from left to right to make sure I wasn't running directly into a line of fire and when I was sure the coast was clear, I began weaving my way through the crowd of kids towards the other end of the school. I consistently kept checking over my shoulder-certain that Erica and Isaac were going to pop out of nowhere to nab me. I was more concerned about Erica considering she took genuine pleasure in seeing me in pain. Isaac was another story, but the fact that he had tried to apologize this morning with murder on his mind infuriated me to no end.

Finally, I made it to the front doors of the school and shoved my way out of them, my heart thumping so loud in my ears it was hard to hear anything else. My eyes darted across the lot for the powder blue Jeep and I spotted it just backing out of a parking spot.

"No, no, no!" I growled underneath my breath and scrambled down the front steps. Booking it towards the car, I nearly missed getting run over at least three times. Then, as a last ditch effort to get in the Jeep, I leapt directly in front of it.

The sound of squealing tires and old brakes rattled my ears drums dramatically, the Jeep skidding to a stop just inches in front of my chest. I panted heavily, staring wide eyed at the grill that was smoking slightly from the effort it had taken to stop.

"Tessa, what the hell are you doing?" Allison demanded wildly, her head poking out from the passenger side of the Jeep. Stiles had leaned forward over his steering wheel, looking as though he'd just seen a ghost. Even Jackson had moved his head in between the seats and was giving me a confused glare.

"Let me in!" I ordered, finding the strength to move my feet again.

The passenger side door of the Jeep swung open and Allison scooted closer towards the middle to allow me space to sit. As soon as the door was shut, the Jeep took off out of the parking lot, all of the bodies inside flinging backwards.

"Uh, nice of you to show up." Lydia squeaked from the backseat, her green eyes piercing me through the rearview mirror. Then, they squinted at me suspiciously. "Why are you breathing so heavy? Did you run here?"

"Maybe." I wheezed, a hand placed over my chest as I sunk down in the seat whilst trying to catch my breath. "God, I am so out of shape."

"Have you been crying?" Lydia then demanded, her voice borderline concerned. Her question caught me off guard and I coughed a couple of times, quickly wiping my eyes.

"It's called sweat, Lydia. You've probably never had the luxury of experiencing it in your life." I chirped back, trying to mask my horror with sarcasm. I could feel more than one pair of eyes on me now and knew that her question had gotten the attention of everyone in the car. "I-I didn't want to miss out on this-this...uh…"

"...study group." Allison finished for me once she realized that I had no clue what was going on. "And we told you about it, but you said you didn't want to do it. You hate studying."

"Typical." Lydia hummed, twirling a piece of red hair around her finger. This signaled that she was buying it and I let out a silent exhale of relief. "Trust me, I don't really want to be here, either. So, I'm glad I won't be the only one suffering today."

I rolled my eyes and then pushed myself up to a straighter seat. The rest of the drive remained relatively silent, the nerves hanging thick in the air. We then pulled down my street and I quickly figured that we were definitely not going to my house. Andre's car was missing from the driveway and I was really hoping she wouldn't return any time soon. The Jeep screeched to a halt directly in front of Scott's house and we began filing out of the Jeep at a rapid pace.

"If we're studying at Scott's house, then where's Scott?" Lydia demanded exasperatedly, Stiles' hand on her arm to guide her quickly up the front steps.

"Meeting us here. I think." Stiles responded, glancing over at me. I gave him a covert shrug and shook my head. "I hope."

"And why can't we go to Tessa's? She's right here." Lydia then asked, looking over to me and raising a curious, perfectly manicured brow.

"Uh," I stammered, my mouth hanging slack for a second as I tried to come up with an answer. "A-Andre doesn't want anyone over. The house is a mess and-and she gets super embarrassed about being dirty."

"God, you suck at lying." Lydia hummed, rolling her eyes and then looking away from me. I flinched at her words while following everyone else inside the house. Once the front door was shut, Stiles began to lock almost every single deadbolt that was on the door frantically.

Glancing out the front window, Stiles made sure we hadn't been followed before turning around to face the group. Lydia was looking at all of us expectantly, her curiosity having not been soothed. I couldn't blame her. We had all just dragged her out of the school, shoved her into a car, and then driven her to a house where the owner wasn't even present with absolutely no explanation other than a study group. I had almost gotten run over and looked as though I had run a full marathon. However, this was better than her being dead.

"Hey, Stiles, why the hell did you lock the door like that?" I questioned with an air of sarcasm, giving him a pointed look as Lydia took on an even more perplexed expression.

"Uh, there's been a few break-ins around the neighborhood." Stiles lied, nodding his head and looking somewhat confident in his answer. Then, as if the ominous locking of the door wasn't enough, Stiles reached for a chair beside him and shoved it underneath the knob. "And there's been a murder."

"You're an idiot." I grumbled lowly and then turned on my heel to exit into the kitchen, unable to stand being around all of them any longer.

My conversation with Derek was still lingering in my head, his objection to my plea stinging deep. So many things had happened in a matter of just a few hours and the whiplash was starting to affect me hard. My stomach was twisting itself into knots and there was a slight ringing in my ears, vision swirling periodically in front of my eyes. I tried to shake myself of the feelings, knowing I needed to focus on keeping Lydia safe.

After a few moments, I heard Lydia's heels click off into the distance after Jackson told her that he needed to talk to her. I glanced over into the other room to see that it was only Stiles and Allison in the foyer. They murmured a few words to each other before they parted and Allison went into the living room, shutting any open curtains.

Stiles paced in front of the door for a couple moments before walking over into the kitchen to join me. He said nothing as he opened the fridge and then shut it, rapping his knuckles lightly on the island across from me.

"I'm glad you're okay." Stiles finally murmured, glancing up at me before back down at the countertop. "I was really worried that something would happen to you."

"For the first time, me, too." I replied honestly, my voice barely above a whisper. "If Derek is willing to kill my best friend, who's to say he's not willing to kill all of us-including me."

Stiles shook his head and ran a hand over the top of it. "Tess, I know I talk a lot of crap, but I know that he would never-"

"I begged him." I interrupted, clenching my jaw tightly. "I begged him not to do it. That if-if he was really my brother then he wouldn't do this to Lydia. He ignored me."

Lips parted on the spastic boy as a look of shock registered on his feature, the look then mixing with sadness. "I'm sorry." He replied softly. "I know I've been a jerk recently, but I'm sorry."

"You haven't been the jerk, Stiles." I argued, shaking my head and then swallowing passed the lump in my throat. I inhaled deeply through my nose. "I have. I have probably been the biggest jerk and it's all because I can't keep my mouth shut."

"Tess, we don't have to do this right now." Stiles quickly assured me, his eyes giving me a serious look. "I know I'm always on your ass about it, but right now doesn't have to be the time. When you're ready, then we can talk about it."

"There's two to this. You get a say in when you want to talk, Stiles." I told him, gesturing at the boy with my hand. "I've been blowing you off for weeks now."

"We can't talk about this right now." Stiles reiterated. "Lydia is in danger and there's probably a whole pack of psycho werewolves chasing after us right now so this really isn't the time."

Stunned, I stared wide eyed at him for a few moments. "Right." I eked out and then nodded curtly. "You're right. I-I'm sorry."

I then began to make my way out of the kitchen, Stiles trying to stammer out some final words but I didn't allow him to finish. Allison was still waiting out in the living room and did another check out the window when a sharp gasp suddenly left her throat. The sun had begun to go down and the street lamps were flickering on to illuminate the approaching darkness.

"Stiles, give me your phone!" Allison demanded, holding out her hand and then backing up from the window. "Now!"

"What? What's going on?" I questioned worriedly, but she simply shook her head. Stiles came out of the kitchen, fumbling in his pocket before pulling out his cell phone and handing it over to Allison. I watched as she dialed Scott's phone number.

"You need to get here, now." Allison ordered and I finally decided to move past her, pulling the curtain back from the living room window. She hurried over to her bag and removed the piece of metal, flicking it out to transform it into a crossbow like she had done earlier.

"Oh, shit." I swore underneath my breath as I saw four figures standing just across the street, their silhouettes enough to send chills down my spine. Derek, Isaac, Boyd, and Erica had all caught on, just like I suspected they would. "They're here. All of them are here."

"What?" Stiles gasped and then moved to look out the foyer window. "Ah, jeez…"

It appeared that they had gotten significantly closer in a matter of seconds, now standing on the front lawn. They had put distance between each other so that they appeared as though they were a wall, separating us from any chance of freedom. Lydia was still safely upstairs with Jackson, but I felt like our window was beginning to close. If Scott didn't show up soon, we were royally screwed. A pack of humans against a pack of werewolves was a fight that wasn't hard to predict. Allison moved to stand on the other side of the door and then pulled out her phone.

"What are you doing?" Stiles asked.

"I think…" Allison trailed off only to suck in a sharp breath. "I think I have to call my Dad."

"No, but if he finds you here, you and Scott-"

"I know." Allison choked out, lifting her head to look at Stiles with a sad look. "But, what are we supposed to do? They're not here to scare us, okay? They're here to kill Lydia."

I shook my head and placed my hand on my chin. "N-no, there has to be another option. One that doesn't also jeopardize the safety of Scott."

"He won't kill him." Allison assured me, also shaking her cranium. "Just because I'm here doesn't mean that we were together. He would understand that I'm just trying to save Lydia's life."

"And then he would murder every single werewolf in the proximity alongside Gerard." I hissed underneath my breath, gesturing towards the front yard. "Calling your Dad has to be the last option, Allison."

"And what do you suggest we do? Wait it out? Stand around until they finally decide to break down the door, hurt us and then kill Lydia?" Allison demanded, raising her eyebrows expectantly. I could see that her eyes had glossed over with tears. "We can't defend ourselves against them without help."

"And Scott will be here." I insisted, unsure if I was trying to convince them or myself. "He-He said he was on his way, right? We're going to be fine."

"I got an idea." Stiles suddenly spoke up, keeping his voice low. "Just shoot one of 'em."

I turned slowly to face the boy and then cocked up an eyebrow. "You're kidding?"

"Are you serious?" Allison then whispered after me, looking just as unconvinced as I felt.

"We told Scott we could protect ourselves." Stiles pointed out. "So, let's do it. Or, at least give it a shot, right?"

Allison was silent for a few moments. "Okay."

"You're not actually agreeing to go out there and shoot them with a crossbow?" I scoffed, lifting my eyebrows up at my friend beside me. "Allison, you're gonna get yourself killed!"

"Look, they don't think we're gonna fight." Stiles explained, his voice borderline desperate. "So, if one of them gets hit, I guarantee they'll take off. So, just shoot one of them."

Allison reached a shaky hand forward and pulled the curtain back again, looking out the window. "Which one?" She asked, trying to sound stronger than I knew she probably felt.

"Uh...Derek." Stiles responded. "Yeah, shoot him. Preferably, in the head."

"If Scott was able to catch an arrow, Derek definitely can." Allison reminded the boy, giving him a fleeting glance before returning to look back out the window.

"Okay, uh, just shoot one of the other three, then." Stiles dismissed, wagging his hand at Allison.

"You mean two?"

"No, I mean three."

I scrambled up beside Stiles and we fought each other to look outside the window, Allison's revelation startling the both of us. Our faces were nearly pressed together, but we hardly cared as our eyes scanned the yard.

"Where is Isaac?" I uttered, bile rising up in my throat rapidly at the thought of one of the werewolves being out of our range of sight.

Allison began to back up from the window, holding up her crossbow with bated breath. I followed suit, terrified of what our current situation had just become. Suddenly, I could hear signs of struggle and turned around to find that Isaac had made his way inside the house. He tossed Allison to the ground after having caught her and then made his way towards us. Isaac's hand landed on my shoulder and he gently pushed me to the side before aggressively shoving Stiles down to the floor as well. His eyes were shimmering their unfamiliar shade of gold and two large white fangs protruded from his lower jaw. I pressed my back firmly against the front door, never letting my own eyes leave him.

"What? No shove to the ground for me?" I taunted weakly, trying to get Isaac's attention off of Stiles. "I'm a little offended."

Isaac looked over his shoulder at me and let out a gruff snort. "If you'd like me to do more, I'm more than happy to oblige." He growled. "I'm doing you a favor."

"By attacking my friends? How sweet of you." I hummed sarcastically, a venomous smile curling on my lips. "Back off, Isaac."

"Or what?" He inquired, looking unimpressed. "Are you going to stop me?"

Allison had regained her senses and looked up to me for direction. I gently nodded upwards and she got to her feet, sprinting up the staircase to where Lydia was. Isaac returned back to Stiles, picking him up by the front of his shirt and tossing him roughly into the living room.

"Stop it!" I demanded, chasing after the two. Isaac proceeded to repeat his actions at least two more times, knocking a glass vase off a side table. "Isaac, stop it!"

"No, I think I'm enjoying this." Isaac snapped, glaring at me over his shoulder. "Since he's the one you had to go after on formal night, not me."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded from him, trying to step in front of him.

"I mean, you should've stayed with me. I don't understand why you seem to like him so much." Isaac responded, angling his body to face me as Stiles struggled to recover on the hardwood floor. "I am clearly the better option. I'm not hopelessly in love with someone else, I could protect you, and I'm much better looking, Tessa."

I gaped at him in shock. "That's what this is about?" I uttered. "You having feelings for me?"

"No, this is about killing a homicidal lizard trapped inside the prom queen." Isaac corrected and then a smirk lifted on his features. "But, it just so happens that I get the chance to throw my competition around."

A blur of movement came from behind Isaac, and I saw a mop of blonde hair barge through the front door. Erica immediately made her way upstairs and when I went to follow, Isaac's arm wrapped around my shoulders tightly. He pulled me into him, my back pressed against his front as he trapped me.

"Let me go!" I squealed, kicking my feet and jerking my torso from side to side in an attempt to escape. I knew my advances would be worthless, but my determination to protect Lydia's life was much more important.

I felt Isaac's breath against my ear as he pressed the side of his face to mine. I shut my eyes and held my own, trying not to let on how terrified I was. "I guess I have to apologize again." He murmured. "I really didn't want it to have to be this way, but you just have to be so stubborn. If you ever want to rethink your alliance, let me know. I'd love to have you join our team."

Suddenly, I felt my entire world shifting. My body hurtled towards the ground and I hit the hardwood on my shoulder harshly. Eyes snapping open, a surprised gasp left my lips and I found that Scott had finally arrived. He was tackling Isaac into the kitchen, regaining the upperhand after we had been on the downswing all day. It was only moments before Scott slammed Isaac's head onto the countertop, rendering him unconscious. I watched as he moved upstairs and heard a loud thud as he dragged Erica's paralyzed body down from the second floor.

Then, he grabbed the backs of both of their jackets and launched them out the front door, sprawling them at Derek's feet on the lawn. I pushed myself up to my feet and looked over my shoulder to see that Stiles had also gotten to a seat.

"Are you okay?" I demanded immediately, standing and moving over to help him up.

Stiles nodded, his chest heaving. "Yeah, I-I'm okay. You?"

"Fine." I replied with a reassuring nod back. We then scurried to where Scott now stood at the front door, staring out at Derek and Boyd. Allison appeared beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, tugging me into a comforting side hug.

"I think I'm finally getting why you keep refusing me, Scott." Derek called out to him. "You're not an omega. You're already an alpha of your own pack. But, you know you can't beat me."

"I can hold you off until the cops get here." Scott refuted, clenching his fists at his sides.

It was then I heard the sounds of sirens off in the distance and all of us perked up. Derek's face went from smug to horrified in a matter of seconds, realizing that he had been beaten this time. Then, a figure appeared on the other side of the street.

"And I have no probably helping out either!" Andre called, her hand inside her jacket coming out to reveal a small silver pistol. "If you want to keep this up, Derek. I can go all day."

"Oh, thank God." Stiles gasped out, placing his palm to his forehead. "I was wondering where your scary big sister was."

"Apparently here now." I mumbled in response.

"Scott, the roof!" Andre then cried out, pointing upwards. Scott grabbed Allison's arm and Stiles mimicked his actions to me, pulling us out onto the front lawn away from the house. When we looked up, the kanima revealed itself-the slimy, green figure illuminated in the moonlight. It turned its head towards us and let out a horrendous screech before running off into the night.

"Get them out of here." Derek ordered Boyd, gesturing to the two beta lying motionless at his feet.

Before anyone could move, we all sensed movement at the front of the house. Out came Lydia, tears in her eyes and a wild expression painting her features.

"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Lydia barked, staring down every single person that she could. It then occurred to me that we were missing one person in our group, someone who had been a topic of discussion not three hours earlier.

"It's Jackson." Scott muttered aloud, staring blankly at the spot where the kanima had previously been. "Of course it is."

"Can someone just take me home? Please?" Lydia demanded, her voice bordering on the edge of panic. "All of you guys are acting like lunatics and I don't want to be here anymore!"

"I'll drive you home." Andre offered, having crossed the street. She smiled as confidently as she could and then looked at the other girl in our group. "Allison, why don't you tag along? I can take you back to your car."

I looked over at my sister, her eyes already landing on me. She was trying to convey to me any sort of comfort she could give, but even her wall was shaking. I turned away, the emotion filling up my chest making it ache and anything more would tip me over the edge. Derek had been wrong and had been more than willing to kill my best friend. The kanima was Jackson. Isaac had taken his anger out on Stiles because of me and Lydia was on the brink of finding out about everything we had been trying to protect her from.

Andre piled the two girls in her car across the street and, as soon as they were out of sight, Derek let out an infuriated growl. "Boyd, take Isaac and Erica back to base. I'm going after that thing and ending this." He spat and, before anyone could stop him, the alpha werewolf took off into the night in the direction the kanima had gone.

Finally, it was Scott, Stiles and I left on the front lawn of his house. It suddenly felt like I had been transported to just a few months ago-when it had just been the three of us trying to navigate through all of the supernatural chaos. There was no Allison or Andre on our side, Derek was just the creepy werewolf trying to end the unknown alpha, and we hadn't gone through half the shit we had.

"We have to go after him." I choked out once I could find the words. "He'll never be able to take that thing down alone-not if it paralyzes him."

"Tess, you don't have to do this." Scott told me quietly, wringing his hands in front of himself. "What he said on the lacrosse field-"

"I told you when I started all of this that I would do whatever it took to help you." I interjected, turning around to face the boys fully. "I would do whatever it took to help the both of you. And if that means chasing after a piece of crap alpha, then so be it. I'm not going to turn my back on you just because of some personal issue. Now, we can either go after Derek and attempt to salvage his life, or we can let him get his ass royally murdered by a reptile. Which one do you guys pick?"

Stiles and Scott glanced between each other, both flapping their jaws like fish out of water. I raised my eyebrows expectantly and then finally Stiles cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'll drive." He mumbled and then scurried across the lawn towards the Jeep.

We all piled inside, my normal seat in the back. Scott rolled down his window, sticking his head out of it to track Derek's scent. We began speeding down several backroads, sneaking through alleyways dimly lit by the half moon in the sky. Fog had rolled out in some parts and I felt myself becoming more uneasy the further we went from town.

Taking a sharp turn, Stiles began hurtling towards a large opening where I saw two figures standing off against each other. As we approached closer, I noted a strip of metal in the center of our path, large metal spikes protruding out of it. Stiles slammed his foot down on the break, inevitably making the Jeep skid to a screeching halt.

"What do we do now?" Stiles asked Scott, but the passenger side of the door was already swinging open. I looked through the front windshield and watched as Scott hopped a chain link fence, running off into the darkness. "Fantastic. That-that's just perfect."

"Well, do we follow him?" I inquired worriedly, clumsily climbing up into the front seat to sit beside Stiles. "We can't let him go alone."

Stiles let out a frustrated sigh and then ran a hand over his head. "I'll shoot him a text and have him meet us nearby. There-There's a club around here or something." He told me, pulling out his phone and rapidly texting his friend. He then put the Jeep in reverse and began weaving his way back closer to civilization.

I swallowed hard and sat back in my seat, staring ahead at the dark world in front of us. My hands were balled into tight fists and I tried to keep my leg from rapidly bouncing. Every so often, I glanced over at Stiles who sported a set jaw and refused to meet my gaze.

"Andre will make sure Lydia and Allison both get home safe." I started, sniffing and then tucking some loose hair behind my ear. "I'm glad she's finally on our side now."

"You should've gone with them." Stiles responded flatly, flexing his fingers on the steering wheel. "You're right, she would make sure they would get home safe and that would mean you were safe, too."

"Look, it sort of sounds like you don't want me around anymore, Stilinski. I'm wounded." I tried to joke, patting the spot on my chest just above my heart and letting out a weak snort.

Stiles rolled his eyes and I could just barely see the corners of his mouth twitch up. "I actually don't enjoy being a broken record, so I'll save my breath." He replied. Then, he sucked in a deep breath through his nose. "I'll use it to tell you that I'm sorry if you ever felt like you were second best."

"What?" I murmured, turning my head to now look at him completely.

"I was a total hypocrite, earlier, Tessa." Stiles shifted in his seat and glanced over in my direction. "I told you that we couldn't talk even though I've been the one pressing you to talk to me. How lame is that?"

"We were kind of in the middle of something." I reminded him, shrugging a weak shoulder. "We sort of still are so if you don't want to do this-"

"-but, I do." Stiles cut me off, his voice borderline desperate. "I really, really freaking do. Otherwise, I might implode on myself, which would be super gross."

My stomach began to tie itself into knots, a wave of heat spreading across my chest as my heart rate sped up. I became more hyper aware of my surroundings, trying to cling to them in order to keep myself connected to reality. I had been playing this game with Stiles for weeks now, and the anticipation had been building up ever since he had kissed me on the lacrosse field after the formal. It had been growing even quicker when he had tried to confront me on the ice rink and I had blown him off. Every single word that anyone had said in regards to Stiles seemed to flood my brain-fueling me with confidence to accept the best consequence that could come out of this conversation that he wanted to have with me.

"What-what do you want to say?" I questioned, trying to keep my words from shaking. Stiles pulled the Jeep into a spot that seemed secluded enough behind what looked to be a nightclub. People were lined up around the building and the gentle thudding of the bass met my ears.

Stiles shut off the car and then scrubbed a hand down his face, his leg now beginning to shake rapidly-as it normally did when he was anxious. "I'm not in love with Lydia." He admitted, almost sounding ashamed of himself. "I-I mean I care about her, of course, and I think she's great, but I'm not in love with her like I thought I was."

My eyebrows popped up, my lips forming into the shape of an 'O'. "That-that's not what I was expecting to hear." I responded, shaking my head.

"I know and that's the sad part." Stiles said, his brow knitting together in frustration. "I've been so stupid and-and oblivious to the fact that I was saying these things about Lydia right in front of you. I was treating you like crap after I had-I had just kissed you on the lacrosse field."

One of us had finally said it out loud to one another. It was no longer a memory that had been implanted in our brains, existing only as a thought that recurred more often than I would like to admit. The fact that it was Stiles admitting it made me believe that maybe it hadn't been some strange, romantic dream I had. It had been real, and he was acknowledging that now.

I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek and looked down into my lap. "You thought you were going to die. It-It was a last ditch effort to calm me down."

"God, no, Tess, it wasn't." Stiles growled, placing both of his hands over his face and leaning back in his seat for a moment. Then, he angled his body so that it faced me. "I kissed you because I thought that, if I didn't, you were going to never know that-that I liked you. If I didn't do it then, if I didn't mean it then, I was afraid that you would start falling for a guy like-like Isaac Lahey. That I would have to pine over you from afar like I had done with Lydia since the third grade. Except that, you're different. We're on the same wavelength-in the same social class. For once, I thought that there might be a chance-even a small one-you might feel the same way."

My eyes widened significantly, the words robbed from my mouth as I stared back at Stiles with a concussed expression. For a moment, I was worried that I might be dreaming or that Peter was somehow screwing with my head. A soft gust of air left my body, my eyelashes fluttering as I did so and I could feel the corners of my lips pulling upwards.

Unable to help myself, a small bubble of laughter escaped me. To soothe it, I cupped a hand over my mouth and Stiles took on a confused look. "I'm sorry." I apologized softly. "You thought I was going to fall for Isaac Lahey?"

Stiles' shoulders sagged and he rolled his eyes. "Really? That-that's all you got from that. Tessa, I just poured my heart out to you and that's all you have to say."

"Stiles, the fact that it's not obvious that I have felt the same way about you for months makes you look like an idiot!" I exclaimed, gesturing at him wildly and shaking my head. "I mean, come on! Are you really that freaking blind?"

"Well, I, uh-"

"I wasn't talking to you because I assumed you didn't like me. I didn't want to get myself hurt." I told him, wrapping my arms around myself. "All you do is talk about Lydia and how beautiful and perfect she is. I had no choice but to believe that she was still the one."

"I thought that she was in-in the beginning."

"Wait, what?'

Stiles tugged at the collar of his shirt and then shifted in his seat. "When we were at the formal together, I-I thought that maybe for a moment she would see me. Or-or if she knew I had spent time at the hospital. Or maybe when I found her in the forest with my Dad." He explained and I couldn't help the pang that struck my heart as he did so. "I was sort of second guessing myself."

"Uh, that's...good to know." I responded flatly, my eyes narrowing for a moment before I shook my head. "Is that supposed to make me feel better or something?"

"N-No! I mean, uh, yes. It is." Stiles fumbled, his face turning a bright shade of red. "I'm just trying to be honest with you. Obviously, I-I'm sure now. I think. I mean, I am!"

"Did you kiss me only because you knew you wouldn't have a chance, Stiles, or because you genuinely liked me? It's getting a little fuzzy for me." I demanded, grinding my teeth together tightly to avoid punching something. I could feel my eyes getting the familiar twinge and I tried to keep it together.

"Of course I did it because you were there and I cared about you." Stiles answered, nodding his head frantically. "I kissed you because I wanted to."

"While still thinking you had a chance with Lydia?" I questioned now, my voice quiet. "Please, just keep being honest with me, Stiles."

Stiles was silent for a few moments, his eyes darting around frantically. Then, he let out a deep sigh and swallowed hard. "I-I guess so." He murmured.

I bit down on my bottom lip harshly, dropping my gaze down into my lap. "I can't do this if you aren't even sure if you don't love Lydia anymore-not while you're still convincing yourself that you don't."

"Tessa, please, no. Don't do this." Stiles begged and I saw his hand reach out for me, but I drew myself back rapidly.

"Don't do what? Look out for myself?" I asked, giving him an expectant look. "That's what I have been doing and to hear you tell me that the one intimate moment we shared is all part of your feelings about Lydia is what I had been afraid of."

"I don't know how to do this, Tessa. I'm not good at talking to girls. I didn't mean it that way." Stiles argued weakly.

"But, you did." I rebutted, managing to keep any tears at bay as I sat up straighter in my seat. "And, that's fine. Just let me live without wondering if I am the one you're thinking about when she and I are standing in a room together. My answer is loud and freaking clear, Stilinski."

Stiles took on a defeated expression, his shoulders sagging. "Tess, I'm sorry."

I gave him a sad smile. "Don't be." I murmured. "I should be thanking you for finally telling me how you really feel. Don't be ashamed of that."

Before we could continue this torture any further, I turned and unlocked the door of the Jeep. I then pushed it open roughly and, just as I did, it sounded as though I had slammed it into a metal pole. A grunt erupted into the air and I watched as a blur of color smashed to the ground below me.

"Aw, man." Scott groaned which resulted in my eyes widening in horror.

"Oh, my God!" I gasped and jumped down, just barely missing his sprawled out legs. I shut the door to find Scott on his back, a faint red mark on his forehead. "Scott, I-I'm so sorry."

Scott placed a hand over his face and then shook his head. "It's okay. Just help me up please." He requested feebly. I quickly reached down a hand to clasp onto his own and lugged him up to a standing point. Wiping him off, Stiles came to join us.

"Did you see where he went?" He interrogated almost immediately whilst Scott recovered from my unintentional assault.

"I lost him." Scott admitted, slightly out of breath.

"What? You couldn't catch his scent?" Stiles then proceeded to ask, looking mildly surprised by this news.

"I don't think he has one." Scott revealed to us, shaking his head.

I let out a disbelieving snort. "There is no way that a raging douche canoe like Jackson or Derek doesn't have a strong scent. Jackson should be like a spoiled egg." I mumbled.

"Alright, well, anyone clue where he's going?" Stiles persisted, shifting back and forth on his feet a few times.

"To kill someone." Scott replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Ah!" Stiles exclaimed. "That explains the claws, the fangs, and all that. Good. Makes perfect sense now."

Scott gave Stiles an annoyed look, rolling his eyes and then turning away from him. "Look, Scott, come on. I'm 147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bone, okay? Sarcasm is my only defense."

"Wow, something we have in common." I hummed, an ingenuine smile appearing on my features.

"Just help me find him." Scott grunted, giving us each an exasperated look.

"Not "it". Jackson."

"Yeah, I know. I-I know." Scott sighed, shaking his head and looking down at the ground.

"Alright, but does he know that?" Stiles inquired.

"I'm gonna go ahead and say that he probably doesn't. I feel like that if Jackson Whitmore knew he was a murderous lizard instead of a werewolf, the entire town of Beacon Hills would be lit up in flames from the amount of sheer fury he would feel." I answered, using my hands as I spoke and sucking a sharp breath in through my teeth. "So, I guess we should all just prepare for that once he doesn't find out."

Stiles glanced in my direction as if to silence me before returning back to his friend. "Did anyone else see him at your house?" He then asked Scott.

"I mean, I don't think so but he's already passed Derek's test, anyway." Scott answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, but that's just the thing. How did he pass the test?" Stiles pointed out.

"I don't know."

"Maybe it's like an either or thing. I mean, Derek said that a snake can't be poisoned by its own venom, right? When's the kanima not the kanima?" Stiles explained.

"When it's Jackson."

A/N: Thank you for reading yet another chapter of this story. I jam packed this one and decided to let the last couple of chapters run a bit long considering my terribly long hiatus. I also wanted to finally include some sort of confrontation between Stiles and Tessa. Of course, I had to make it stubborn and frustrating. It's camp, at this point.

As always, I love reading reviews, so please leave them! Love ya'll.

-Laura