Creatures of the Night:
The sound of crickets could be heard in the distance as I leaned back against the windshield of Stiles' jeep and I leaned into my brother's side as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. From our position at the top of Lookout Point, we could see the entire town of Beacon Hills laid out in front of us and I couldn't help but marvel at how pretty all of the lights were in contrast to the night sky.
I could feel the familiar prickling sensation the full moon caused dancing over my skin as I tried to suppress the urge to give in and release the vicious animal that lurked under my cool exterior. I shifted uncomfortably as Scott slid down the hood of the jeep so that he could lean back on his hands and then I glanced over to the side where Stiles was leaning over an open map of San Francisco with a look of concentration. A content smile spread across my lips as the urge to itch underneath my skin faded and I relaxed in the presence of my brothers, two of the people I loved most in the world.
"All right, so I found some cool two bedrooms in the Mission District, but they're pretty expensive. A couple in Haight and Ashbury. Also expensive." Stiles murmured out loud to Scott without looking up from the map as he uncapped a red marker and he scribbled a circle around one portion of the map.
"What about Berkeley? Don't a lot of students live around there?" Scott asked absently as he gazed up at the night sky with a thoughtful expression and I frowned at him in concern but Stiles didn't seem to notice the distracted tone of his voice.
"Yeah, yeah, we could try Nob Hill. But, the Jeep would probably burn through a lot of clutches."
"You're taking the Jeep?" I asked him in a mixture of dubiousness and amusement as I quirked an eyebrow at him in question with a smirk playing on my lips.
"You know the plan, okay." He argued firmly as he looked over at me in exasperation and he leaned both of his hands on the hood of the jeep as he looked in between me and my brother with a stern expression. "No one gets left behind. That's the plan. You and Lydia aren't gonna have a problem getting into Stanford. Kira's thinking USF. Malia's, uh, gonna, you know, she'll figure something out, okay. The plan's perfect."
"Or we could also wait until we actually get into college and then figure out where to live." Scott interjected in amusement as he sent a smirk over his shoulder and I nodded in agreement as I pointed a finger at him to illustrate my point.
"I have a vision, dude. Okay? And it is a beautiful vision. Don't ruin the vision." Stiles ordered pointedly in a hard voice as he narrowed his eyes in annoyance and I pressed my lips together to stop from laughing as he turned his attention back to the map. "Okay, we can check out the East Bay. Haven't looked at Oakland yet, you know."
I rolled my eyes at him with a fond smile as I looked up at the sky, watching the lightning crisscross across the night like paintbrush streaks on a black canvas and I felt the irritating prickling underneath my skin as I turned my gaze to the full moon. I released a slow exhale as I closed my eyes in an attempt to breathe through the urge to rip Stiles' throat out and I counted to ten silently as the feeling receded to the back of my mind, until I could easily ignore it.
My lips twitched up in a proud smile as I tilted my head to the side and I surveyed me brother critically as I checked to make sure his body wasn't tense with the desire to murder his best friend. Scott's expression was one of melancholy as he gazed up at the night sky and I quirked an eyebrow at him in question as I asked him in concern, "You're all right? You're starting to feel it?"
"No. Just thinking." He replied flippantly in a distant tone of voice without moving positions and I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"About what?"
"Senior year."
"Senior year, come on, that's, that's...That's nothing. That's going to be easy." Stiles interjected dismissively with a wave of his hand as he lifted his head to look between us and I nodded in agreement as I pursed my lips together thoughtfully.
"It's more like something Deaton told me once. You ever hear of regression to the mean?" Scott asked curiously as he looked over his shoulder at us with a raised eyebrow and the human shook his head in answer as his eyebrow drew together in confusion. "It's a way of saying that life can't ever be all bad or all good. You know, eventually things have to come back to the middle. So, think about the last few months. Things have been good, right? But not amazing."
"Yeah, but no one's tried to kill us in six months either." Stiles said in a victorious tone as he pointed a finger towards the Alpha with his eyebrows raised and I snorted in amusement as I ducked my head to hide my smile.
"Right. We've been pretty much in the middle for a while. Which means, at some point, the scale has to tip one way or the other. Things are gonna get really good again..."
"Or really bad." I finished my brother's sentence in a deadpan tone as I slid down the hood to sit next to him and he nodded slightly with a half-smile as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
I leaned into his embrace with a grin, happy that our relationship had improved immensely since the start of sophomore year and instead of the title 'brother' being superficial at best, Scott was the most important person in my life. My brother, my Alpha, my friend, and I wouldn't wish for it to be any different.
A clap of thunder echoed through the preserve as the storm clouds gathered overhead and I looked upwards as a strike of lightning arced through the sky in a quick flash, almost too fast for the human eye. I frowned in concern as I threw a glance over my shoulder before turning my attention back to the boys on either side of me and I tilted my head to the side thoughtfully, "Think it's been long enough?"
"Yes!" Liam's voice shouted from a distance in a pleading tone and we all turned simultaneously to look over at the young Beta chained to the thick oak tree on the other side of the clearing.
"Hey. Trying to have an adult conversation over here." Stiles called back to him in an annoyed tone of voice and I slapped him lightly on the shoulder in reprimand as I slid off of the hood of the jeep.
"All right, you're two years older than me. And I'm fine. Just let me go." Liam implored desperately with a roll of his eyes as the three of us approached him and I offered him a sympathetic smile as he turned his wide blue eyes in my direction.
"It's not that we don't trust you." I told him sincerely as I crossed my arms over my chest and Scott started to unlock the heavy metal chains that fastened the younger boy to the tree.
"It's that I don't trust you." Stiles added nonchalantly as he raised his hand in the air with a scowl on his lips and I nudged him to be quiet as Liam glared at him heatedly.
"But after that last full moon..." Scott trailed off knowingly without looking up from his work undoing the bindings and I pressed my lips together to stop from chuckling.
"It was one slip up." Liam defended himself quickly as he lolled his head to the side and I couldn't help but smile at the slight whine in his voice because he reminded me of a small child getting scolded.
"Slip up? A dozen calls to the Sheriff's Department about a 'monstrous dog-boy' running around the streets of Beacon Hills naked. That's a slip up?" Stiles asked sarcastically in disbelief as he flung his arms around wildly and I had to move out of the way so that I didn't get hit by a waving limb.
Scott froze suddenly with a befuddled expression as he slowly lifted his head to look at the Beta and he tilted his head to the side in confusion, "Why were you naked?"
"It was really hot out that night, okay. Let me go." Liam pleaded with a deep frown etched on his features as he rested his gaze on me and I gave him a pointed look as I took a step closer to him.
"You sure you're okay?" I asked him sternly as I poked him in the middle of the chest with my eyebrows raised and he nodded his head rapidly in ascent as he pouted in a way he knew affected me, having learned this from the numerous times he managed to convince me to buy him ice-cream after our training sessions.
"It won't happen again."
"You're in complete and total control?"
"Yeah. Complete and total."
"Promise?"
"I promise. Come on, Soph, let me go."
Scott waited for me to nod in allowance before unravelling the chains that kept Liam tied to the tree and the Beta sighed in relief as he slumped against trunk for a moment with a dazed expression. I patted his cheek in compassion with a proud smile, glad that he was getting better at controlling himself on the full moon. He opened his eyes at look at me with a mock glare because he didn't like it when I treated him as though he was a child but I just winked at him in response as I turned to walk away.
The familiar scent of blood in evaded my senses, the mixture of iron and rage, and I froze for a moment in concern when I made the connection between the blood and the boy standing next to me. my gaze dropped down to his hands, observing as he kept them curled tight into fists and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from lashing out and demanding to know why he didn't tell me he was struggling for control.
The large grin he sent my way as we strolled towards the jeep, blue eyes full of innocence and hope, and I couldn't bring myself to take away that hope by scolding him so I just offered him a small smile in return.
"Alright, let's go! We're going to be late." Stiles complained as he scrambled into the driver's seat while Scott climbed into the passenger side and I followed Liam into the backseat as the engine turned on.
"What time does it start?" I asked him as I settled comfortably into the seat behind him with my legs crossed at the knee and he sighed dramatically like I was repeating the same question over and over again.
"Midnight. But we have to get there early." The human droned in a monotone voice as he anxiously tapped his finger on the steering wheel and I held my hands up in surrender as I mouthed the word 'wow' behind his back.
"Is it a party?" Liam asked eagerly with an excited expression as he leaned forward to include the boys in the question and I chuckled at his exuberance as Stiles huffed in annoyance.
"It's not a party."
"Then what's at midnight?"
"Your bedtime."
"Why aren't the other girls going?"
"They're meeting us there, okay? And just stop asking questions, all right? It's a senior thing. You'll know when you're a senior."
"You guys having trouble with your phones?" Scott asked abruptly in a concerned tone of voice as he looked up from his phone screen, interrupting whatever witty response Liam was about to retort with. I immediately dug my phone out of my pocket with a small frown and l hummed in acknowledgment as I quirked an eyebrow when I couldn't turn on the darkened screen. I opened my mouth to answer him but the engine started to splutter loudly, drawing all of our attention as we came to a stop in the middle of the road and I looked out the window at the darkened forest that surrounding us.
"Oh. What the hell?" Stiles breathed out in a frustrated tone of voice as he slammed his palm against the steering wheel and I quirked an eyebrow at his overreaction.
"You out of gas?" I asked him in a bored tone as I fiddled with my nonresponsive cell phone and Liam shifted next to me as he put in his earphones so that he could listen to music.
"No, it's electrical. Probably the alternator again." He explained with a defeated sigh as he started to climb out of the car and Scott quickly followed after him as I waited a moment before copying them. "Whoa! Where are you going?"
"I'm going to check the engine."
"When we were stuck in Mexico, you told me you didn't know anything about cars?"
"Yeah, I didn't like that you knew something I didn't, so Derek taught me the basics." I told him honestly with a smirk on my lips as I strolled passed him while he gaped at me in disbelief and Scott snorted in amusement as they followed me to the hood of the jeep. Stiles popped the faded light blue hood, lifting it open to reveal the duct tape swaddled engine and I nearly cringed at the sight in front of me.
"Whoa, that's a lot of duct tape." Scott stated as he stared at the engine with wide eyes and Stiles snapped his head up to glare at him as my brother let out a laugh, "Kidding. We'll fix it."
"I know, it's just the last night of summer, you know, so I wanted to make sure everyone was there tonight." Stiles admitted with a sigh as he pursed his lips like he was holding something back and I placed a hand in between his shoulder blades as he looked over at me with a desolate expression.
"We'll make it. You got any tools?" I asked him with a questioning look as I placed my hands on the edge of the hood and tilted my head to the side as I started to scrutinise the machinery.
"Yeah." He murmured as he held up a roll of silver duct tape and I gave him a look before taking the tape from him as I shook my head with an indulging smile. The three of us started to methodically tape anything that looked as though it needed help and I slapped Scott's hand gently when he went to touch something he wasn't supposed to. He gave me a wounded look as he cradled his hand to his chest and I rolled my eyes at him with a smirk as I turned my attention back to the engine.
"Guys!" Liam called in a worried tone of voice from the backseat of the jeep and I paused momentarily as I tried to decide whether or not his concern for genuine or a show of his impatience.
"Yeah, give us a second, please." Stiles shouted back at him in an annoyed tone of voice as he rolled his eyes and I elbowed him in the stomach in reprimand as I gave him a glare.
"Liam, stay in the car, okay?" Scott added in a more paternal tone as he attempted to sooth my ruffled feathers and I couldn't help smiling at how well he seemed to fill the Alpha role for the younger boy.
The ground seem to shake underneath us as a bolt of lightning struck right behind us, causing a bright light to temporarily blind me and I grabbed tightly onto the edge of the jeep with a gasp as I looked over my shoulder in surprise. The ground that had hit was charred, blackened with ash and I tried not to remember what it felt like to have electricity flowed through my veins.
It was one of the most painful memories I had, watching Scott tense with agony as the electricity coursed through him and sometimes I could remember the sound of him whimpering in pain in the middle of the night, when everything else was silent. I could handle the physical pain, but seeing someone I loved suffering, it was one of the most torturous things I could go through.
"That was close. Very close." I muttered to myself as I glanced down at my hands on the edge of the jeep and I blinked in surprise when I saw my knuckles white under the strain. I almost jumped when the engine suddenly turned on and I let go of the jeep quickly as though it had burned me in the process.
"Can we go now?" Liam asked in a whine as he stuck his head out the open window and I rolled my eyes at him with a small smile on my lips as the tension surrounding me was broken.
I strolled over to the window before pushing the Beta's head back into the jeep and he made a high-pitched noise of complaint as I climbed in the open door with a victorious smirk. He pouted childishly with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared out the opposite window and I grabbed the back of his neck as I pulled him over so that I could press a sloppy kiss to his cheek.
"Urgh, Sophie!" he complained in disgust as I let go of him with a laugh and he scrunched his face up as he roughly wiped his cheek with the palm of his hand. "I told you stop doing that!"
"Stop acting like a child and I'll stop treating you like a child." I countered easily with an impassive shrug of my shoulders as I settled back against the seat and he glared at me through narrowed eyes as we started driving down the road.
"I'm not acting like a child."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Hey! Don't make me turn this car around!" Stiles threatened from the driver's seat as he raised his voice slightly and we both fell silent under his reprimanding gaze before he turned his attention back to the road.
"She started it." Liam muttered under his breath as he turned his attention out the window and I gasped in disbelief as I glared at the back of his head.
"Did not." I retorted instantly as I crossed my arms over my chest with a roll of my eyes and he spun around to face me with his blue eyes narrowed as his hands clenched into fists.
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Okay, that's it, I'm pulling over. You two can walk the rest of the way." Stiles announced loudly as he started to pull off to the side of the road with a shake of his head and we immediately snapped out heads around to stare at him in shock.
"What? No! Stiles!" Liam and I cried at the same time as we both leaned forward to poke our heads in between the two front seats, bumping our heads together in the middle and I rubbed my forehead with the palm of my hand with a scowl.
"I'm not going to listen to you two argue the whole way."
"We'll be good. Promise." I assured him with an innocent grin as I settled back against the seat and Liam nodded rapidly in agreement as Stiles narrowed his eyes at us in consideration.
"Fine. But not another word out of either of you, got it?" he asked pointedly with one eyebrow raised in rhetoric question and we both nodded silently as he sighed loudly before turning back around. Scott grinned widely in amusement as his best friend pulled back out onto the road and Stiles shot him look from the corner of his eye as we drove in silence towards where we were picking up Malia.
It was raining lightly as we approached Malia's street and I saw a group of people standing by a fallen oak tree that had been struck by lightning. I caught sight of the werecoyote standing next to her adoptive father by the side of the road and Stiles quickly pulled to a stop in front of them as she came jogging over.
"Sorry we're late. Hey. Mmm." Stiles' apology was abruptly cut off when Malia cupped the back of his neck and smashed their lips together in a passionate kiss. I shared an exasperated look with my brother as the couple separated and Liam leaned forward in between the two front seats.
"I'm sorry too." The Beta cooed as he puckered his lips in a mocking effort to gain a kiss and I rolled my eyes at him with an amused smile as I pulled him back by the shoulder.
"You boys do remember I own a gun, right?" Mr Tate asked rhetorically in a threatening tone of voice as he cocked an eyebrow at the teenage boys hitting on his daughter.
"Vividly." Stiles remarked drily with a blank expression as he dropped his hand from her cheek and I chuckled silently as I moved over to the middle of the backseat so that Malia could climb in next to me.
Malia slammed the door behind her with a sigh as she shifted in her seat and she leaned over to give me a quick tight squeeze as I returned the embrace. We smiled at each other as we both pulled back, our relationship had grown a lot over the summer and we had spent a lot of time going out dancing or studying or watching TV shows and movies in an effort to get Malia up to date with pop culture since she'd been stuck as a coyote for years.
"What?" The werecoyote asked when she noticed that we were all staring at her expectantly and I rolled my eyes at her confusion as I crossed one leg over the other.
"Did you find out yet?" Stiles asked her eagerly as he twisted around to look at her and Scott nodded in agreement with the question as he smiled at her supportively.
"Find out what?" Liam asked us all nosily with a frown as he bounced in his seat a little and I gave him a reprimanding glare, that he ignored as he leaned over me to look at the other girl.
"They're gonna email me." Malia answered her boyfriend with a slightly worried expression and I grabbed her hand in between mine because I knew how concerned she was about her results. We had spent hours going over my notes for every subject she needed to pass in order to be a senior and I was confident she could pass the exam in her sleep.
"Is this about summer school?" the Beta asked curiously as he leaned around me to look at the werecoyote and I closed my eyes to stop myself from glaring at him in reprimand.
"You told him?" she asked in disbelief as she gaped at Stiles with wide eyes, her lips downturned in a frown and Liam immediately caught on to the fact that he wasn't meant to know anything as he shook his head slightly.
"Uh... Oh, no, all they said was you had to go to summer school 'cause the principal said your test scores weren't good enough and you might have to repeat junior year."
Silence followed Liam's nonchalant statement as Stiles glared at him for blabbing while Malia glared at her boyfriend for blabbing in the first place and I shook my head at both of them as I rolled my eyes at male stupidity.
"We should've left him chained to the tree." Stiles muttered sarcastically to Scott with a shake of his head as he turned back to face the front of the car and I snorted in amusement as I crossed my arms over my chest.
Liam cringed sheepishly as he turned his attention out the window and I could practically taste his embarrassment on the tip of my tongue as I rubbed his shoulder compassionately. I knew that the full moon could scatter your thoughts until you didn't even know what you were saying, it happened to me more than once before I learned how to control myself. It was a hard line to walk, the unbelievable freedom you felt compared to the overwhelming bloodlust and I was determined to guide the Beta down the right path.
Mentoring a young wolf was harder than I thought it was going to be, mostly because it reminded me of my own training and that inadvertently reminded me of my relationship with Derek. The beginning of our friendship was centred on him helping me learn control but that bond we shared only cemented the sexual and emotional aspect of our romantic relationship. Whenever I had a question on how to deal with Liam, or doubted my abilities, he was the one person I wanted to talk to about it, but I knew that it was too soon for me to call him.
The thought of hearing his voice both thrilled me and frightened me in equal measure because I didn't want to fall into a hole I could escape from, and I knew that his voice might trigger me to tumble over the edge. I had been holding myself back from feeling everything from the break up, afraid that I might fall back into old habits if I didn't have anyone to stay on the right path for.
I had been doing everything I could to keep myself occupied: study with Malia, shopping with Lydia, searching for answers with Jordan, training Liam, hanging out with Scott and Stiles, volunteering at the hospital and the retirement home.
The jeep pulled to a stop in front of the hospital as we all climbed out into the rain and I quickly jogged to the automatic sliding door as I hurried to get out of the rain.
"Come on, Scrappy." I mumbled to the younger boy as we entered the hospital lobby and he groaned under his breath but he followed after me as I strolled over to the elevator. I smile at his exaggerated pout as we entered the elevator and I hit the button for the floor Dr Geyer worked on as Liam leaned against the back of the lift with his arms over his chest.
"I don't know why I can't come with you guys." he said in a forced casual tone of voice as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye and I gave him a humouring smile as I hummed in acknowledgement.
"It's a rite of passage, hon. It's like prom, or graduation."
"Can't I just wait in the car, or something?"
I shot him an incredulous look at the suggestion but he wouldn't meet my eyes and my lips turned down in confusion when I got the sense of anxiety coming off of him. I couldn't for the life of me think of a reason he wouldn't want to see his stepfather but after a moment of analysing his behaviour I nearly gasped in realisation.
"Liam, they aren't here. Not anymore." I reminded him softly as I turned around to face him and he snapped his head up at my words with a guarded expression. The proverbial 'they' needed no explanation, it was obvious from his expression that he knew exactly who I was speaking about. Liam clenched his jaw angrily as he turned his gaze away from me and I held back an exhausted sigh because I thought we had gotten over his evasiveness.
Tension surrounded the two of us as I leaned back against opposite side of the elevator and I tilted my head back against the wall as I crossed my arms over my chest. I could tell from his stiff posture that he didn't want to discuss the topic but I knew from experience that you couldn't avoid an issue like this one and it might end up expressing itself in some violent, horrifying way.
Vulnerability wasn't normally something I excelled at because it made me uncomfortable but for someone I cared about, someone I loved, I could suffer through the distress in order to help them. I released a deep breath as I wrapped an arm around my stomach and I kept my gaze locked on the spot over Liam's shoulder so that I didn't have to meet his eyes.
"I still get nightmares sometimes."
Liam's head jerked up from staring at the floor, startled by my soft declaration as his blue eyes wide in shock and I cleared my throat discreetly as I shifted uncomfortably on my feet.
"I still get nightmares sometimes." I repeated in a stronger tone of voice as I steeled myself to meet his gaze with confidence I didn't feel and his features softened in empathy under my burdened stare. "Sometimes they start off normal, happy and carefree, but then turn…horrible. I won't even know it's coming and I'm totally blindsided. Sometimes they just, stay horrible from beginning to end. A majority of the times its about the Oni and the Nogitsune, of the night Allison and Aiden died. The scene just replays over and over again in my mind, and there's nothing I can do to change the outcome. I can remember everything so clearly. The sounds – the sword slicing through Allison's chest, her last words of how much she loved me and Scott, her heartbeat stopping, Aiden falling to his knees, Ethan sobbing into his brothers chest, his last words, his last heartbeat. The smells – the metallic scent of blood, the chemo signals of acceptance coming from Ally and Aiden, the grief coming from Scott, and Isaac, and Ethan. The taste of blood on my tongue when I bit down so hard to keep from screaming out loud in pain. They're some of the memories that haunt me, but my imagination makes them so much worse. Because it doesn't stop there, it keeps going and going and going, until there's no one else left, until everyone I've ever met is lying bloody at my feet with gaping holes in their chests. It took me a full month after their death's before I could get a full night's sleep, before I could close my eyes long enough to fall asleep without their deaths playing out like some twisted movie on the back of my eyelids. I couldn't look at Scott, or Lydia, or Stiles without feeling guilty, without feeling like I was just waiting for the next person to drop dead. That's why I left in the first place – to try and get some peace, but it doesn't go away. It just doesn't. I still have that feeling sometimes, I still fight like hell to keep it at bay so that it doesn't overcome me. Every time I look at Scott, or Lydia, or Stiles, I'm reminded of what happened, and it hurts." I admitted solemnly as I kept my eyes locked with his and I knew that the tears in his eyes were mirrored in my own but I couldn't bring myself to care. I let out a shaky breath as I wiped away a stray tear that had escaped my eye and tried my best to offer him a wobbly smile. "I know what it's like to face your demons, Liam. I'm not going to lie, it's hard, but not impossible. You just have to want it enough."
"You know what I want? I want to not look over my shoulder every minutes, terrified that something is going to attack me! I want to not feel afraid. I want to be brave. I want to be like you." Liam replied in an amplified voice as he pushed himself off of the wall and I chuckled at his almost frenzied expression as I took a step closer to him.
"You think I'm not afraid? Liam, I'm terrified 90% of the time."
"You don't act terrified."
"That's because I can't!" I exclaimed loudly with an honesty I didn't expect to breach with him and he blinked in surprise as I laughed softly before offering him an affectionate grin, "Everyone looks to Scott for guidance, but Scott looks to me. I hold the entire pack on my shoulders, Liam. If I was acting terrified, Scott would act terrified, then everyone else would act terrified, and our enemies would have an advantage over us. I have to act strong and confident, even when I'm not. It's what's got us this far."
Liam stared at me in shock as I ran a hand through my brunette hair and turned to face the door as I tapped my foot impatiently, silently praying for it to open so I could escape the confines. I could feel the younger boy's eyes on me as I crossed my arms over my chest and he stepped next to me as he stayed silent for a moment before whispering genuinely, "I don't look to Scott."
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from saying anything as tears sprung into my eyes and I silently reached out to slip my hand into his without looking away from the closed door. A small smile spread across my lips at the statement as I gave his hand a gentle squeeze of gratitude and I don't think he realised the magnitude of that compliment.
The elevator doors slid open to reveal a white corridor in front of us and I slipped my arm through Liam's as I practically dragged him out of the elevators because he planted his feet firmly on the ground. I chuckled in amusement at the grimace on his face but didn't comment as we walked down the corridor to the nurse's station at the end of the hall.
"I'll be right back." Liam grumbled reluctantly as he detangled his arm from mine and I patted him sympathetically as I watched him reluctantly make his way over to the nurses station.
I checked the time on my cell phone anxiously as I waited for him to come back because I knew that Stiles really wanted to make it to the school on time. The past week the human had been obsessed with everyone in the pack, except for Liam, being present at the Senior Scribe but whenever someone questioned why, he got defensive or stammered for an excuse.
"My dad's helping out in surgery." Liam announced in a slightly enthusiastic tone as he strolled over to me with a bright grin and I rolled my eyes at him as I turned on my heel to head back the way we came. "He's not gonna be done for hours. So I'm either hanging out here or I could still go with you guys..."
"Show me your hands." I demanded firmly as I came to a stop in front of the elevator and pressed the down button before turning to face the Beta with my hands on my hips. Guilt flashed across his features as he slowly pulls his hands out of his sweatsuit pockets and he reluctantly uncurled his fingers to reveal the bloody wounds from where his claws had dug into his skin.
"Okay, so I'm still having trouble." He admitted sheepishly with an embarrassed shrug of his shoulders and I reached out to grasp his upper arms gently as I shook my head at his awkwardness.
"No. You're still learning. What do you do to stay focused on not changing?"
He silently lifted one of his earphones that was dangling around his neck and I raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement as he sighed heavily in defeat, "But it's not working."
"It's working enough. We might have to work a little hard to find you an anchor." I told him nonchalantly with a shrug of my shoulders as I dropped my hands and he nodded in understanding as he stuffed his blood coated hands back into his pockets. "Listen, Derek told me that you were one of the strongest that he'd ever seen at your age. Now, coming from him that means a lot." I said honestly with a grin as the elevator 'dinged' softly and the doors slid open as I tried not to outwardly react to the mention of my ex-boyfriend. "Maybe means that things are gonna be harder for you for a while but it also means something else, doesn't it?"
"That I'm really strong?" Liam asked uncertainly with a small frown on his lips as I stepped backwards into the open elevator and I grinned proudly as I sent him a wink.
"Hell, yeah."
A pleased grin spread across his lips as the door slid closed between us and I chuckled at his excitement as I pressed the down button on the panel. I leaned back against the far wall of the elevator as I tilted my head back with my eyes closed and I blew a raspberry into the empty lift, exhausted from the events of the night even though nothing major happened.
The elevator came to a stop as the doors slid open and I smiled slightly when I saw Scott and Stiles waiting for me at the end of the corridor. I stuffed my hands in my shorts back pockets as I strolled over to meet up with them and Stiles threw an arm around my shoulders as Scott frowned down at the cell phone in his hand.
"Still can't reach Kira." My brother complained with a worried frown as he slipped the phone back into his pocket and I offered him a sympathetic smile as the three of us started down the corridor.
"Okay, you reminded her about tonight though, right?" Stiles demanded as he placed a hand on Scott's chest to stop him in his tracks and I was jerked to a stop next to them with disgruntled groan.
"I think so. She only texted me once this week."
"Once?" I asked him in shock as my head snapped up to look at him with wide eyes and he suddenly look nervous as he nodded reluctantly. I tried to mask my worried expression with one of nonchalance as I started strolling down the corridor and the boys hurried to catch up to me as I tilted my head to the side curiously, "How'd you guys leave things when she left for New York?"
"Well, they were good. Yeah, I just said, you know, 'Don't worry about anything, just go and have fun.'" He explained with a shrug of his shoulders as we entered the lobby and I barely contained my wince as I bit the inside of my cheek.
"No. You told her to go have fun?" Stiles asked in disbelief as he shook his head and I could tell that he understood the dating faux pas my brother had committed.
"Why? What's wrong with that?" Scott asked anxiously as he came to a stop near the nurse's station and I rested my elbow on the counter as I turned to give the boy's my full attention.
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong with it. Just, I don't know. That can be interpreted a lot of different ways." I informed my brother in the nicest way possible as I shared a knowing look with Stiles.
"Like what?"
"Well, like, 'Don't worry, we're not exclusive. Go have fun with other guys.'"
"No. No way."
"Malia, if you were going away and I told you 'Don't worry, go have fun.' What would you think I was talking about?" the human boy standing next to me asked his girlfriend as he looked over towards where she was standing on the other side of the lobby talking to my mother.
"Fun like bowling? Or sex with other guys?" Malia asked bluntly for clarification with a blank expression as she tilted her head to the side curiously and I nodded in agreement as Stiles pointed a finger at her in approval for proving our point.
"Okay, yeah. Now I'm worried." Scott breathed out in a panicked tone as he bit down on his lower lip and I patted him on the shoulder with a sympathetic smile.
"I wouldn't worry about it, Scotty. I don't think Kira is capable of having an affair, she's much too innocent." I assured him with a teasing grin as I tried to ease his nerves with humour and he rolled his dark brown eyes at me but his lips turned upwards reluctantly.
"25-year-old male, unrestrained driver involved in..." I heard a paramedic call out as the emergency room doors slid open and two paramedics pushed in an unconscious man on a gurney.
"Hey, Mom, where's all this coming from?" Scott asked loudly over the commotion as another gurney was pushed through the lobby and I shuffled back out of the way as she rushed out from behind the counter.
"A jack-knifed tractor-trailer on 115, caused a major pile up." Mom explained in a hurried tone as she ran to catch up to the victims of the car accident and I felt a chill run down my spine at the thought of dying in something as mundane as a car accident when I battle with the supernatural on a daily basis.
"Okay, okay, there's only one way back into Beacon Hills from the airport." Stiles stated in a worried voice as he ran a frustrated hand over his voice and I sighed in exasperation because his obsession was starting to get on my nerves.
"115. Kira's never gonna make it. I can get her. You guys head to the school. Lydia's probably already there. We'll meet you by midnight." Scott said in determination as he started towards the sliding doors and I wiggled my fingers at him in goodbye with a smirk at the cheesiness of the move as Stiles stepped forward in alarm.
"How are you gonna get to her in the middle of a traffic jam?"
"We'll make it. Trust me."
"Come on, Stiles. Let's go." I urged him gently as I linked my arm through his with a small smile and I gestured for Malia to join us as I tugged him towards the front entrance.
Raindrops pelted down from the sky as Stiles, Malia and I ran towards the high school, trying to make it in time for the Senior Scribe. I hurried under the cover as I tried my best to shield my hair with my arms and I pouted exaggeratedly as I ran a hand through my now damp brunette curls.
"Nothing from Scott or Kira." Malia announced with a sigh as she checked her cell phone and I frowned slightly as I reached for my own phone as we continued the walk towards the front doors.
"And nothing from Lydia either." I added in concern when I didn't see any missed calls or unread text messages from the banshee and I slipped my phone back into my pocket.
"And I still don't know if I passed. I don't want to do this unless I'm actually a senior." The werecoyote continued as though I hadn't spoken as she stared down at her phone like she could force the email to come through. I placed a consoling hand on her upper arm because I knew how hard she had studied over the summer and she smiled at me gratefully as she slipped her phone away.
Stiles mumbled something incoherently under his breath as he anxiously watched the other students arriving and he shifted on his feet as I narrowed my eyes at him for ignoring his girlfriend.
"What's wrong with you? You smell terrible." Malia accused him with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I took a gentle sniff of the pheromones surrounding the perpetually anxious boy.
"Yeah, it's called anxiety. Should be a familiar scent for you by now, since it's pretty much a constant state for me." Stiles said sardonically with a roll of his eyes as he turned around to face us and I could see the genuine worry in his expression. For the first time I noticed the darkened circles underneath his eyes and a concerned frowned etched its way onto my lips as he twitched nervously.
"Malia, can you give us a minute?" I asked her without taking my eyes off of the twitching boy in front of me and I heard her retreating footsteps scurrying away from us. I crossed my arms over my chest as I plastered a stern expression on my face and I tilted my head to the side as I narrowed my eyes at him, "Why's this thing so important to you?"
"It's not. It's not. It's uh..." he trailed off uncertainly as he rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace and he blew out a loaded exhale as he avoided my gaze. "I don't know. Maybe it is. I asked my dad the other day about his high school friends. Guess how many he still talks to? None. Not a single one. You know, these were his best friends and he just says he lost touch with them, you know. So I started thinking about things, like I always do, -"
"Obsessively."
"Yeah. And so I'm thinking, what if... What if Scott's my best friend now you know, but he's not my best friend for life?"
"Well, doesn't that just happen sometimes?"
"Yeah, but only because we let it happen. You know, that's what I'm saying. How come when we graduate we're just expected to go our separate ways? If I've already found the best people in my life, why aren't I not trying to stay with them, you know?" he asked rhetorically in a passionate voice as he waved his arms around to illustrate his point and I softened slightly at the frenzied look in his amber eyes.
"Well, I thought that was the plan. The dream." I said softly with a gentle smile as I dropped my arms to my sides and he snapped his head around to glare at me.
"The vision. And don't mock the vision." He corrected me firmly as he wiggled a finger in my direction and I wrapped my hand around his as I lowered it from my face with a raised eyebrow.
"So that's why you wanted everyone here tonight. Because you don't want to lose all your friends after senior year." I reiterated out loud as I intertwined my fingers loosely with his and I gave them a gentle squeeze as he looked away from me with a solemn expression.
"And I hope they don't want to lose me either." He added softly under his breath as his eyes glazed over with unshed tears and I felt my chest pang at the sadness in his voice as well as on his features.
"One problem with your theory. We aren't friends." I told him jovially as I dropped my hold on his hand and he snapped his head around to look at me with eyes wide in shock. His mouth was agape as he tried to form words but nothing came out and I grinned at him brightly as I placed both of my hands on either side of his neck. "We're pack. We're family. Especially, you, me and Scott."
Stiles' lower lip quivered slightly as his eyes glossed over and he roughly pulled me into an embrace, wrapping his arms around my waist as he buried his face in my neck. I returned the embrace with the same force as I wrapped my arm around him and felt a content hum in my chest as I held onto my non-biological brother. Everything that we had been through together it made one thing absolutely clear to me – when everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching, they are your family.
"Love you, idiot." I murmured quietly into the crook of his neck as I tightened my arms around him, silently showing him how grateful I was for his presence in my life.
"Love you, too." He retorted softly in a genuine tone as he returned the gesture and I grinned to myself as I pulled back from the embrace, keeping a hold of his upper arms. I critically studied his expression as I took note of the renewed light in his eyes and my grin softened into a small smile of affection as he returned the gesture.
"Sophie!" Malia called in alarm as she ran over to us with a panicked expression and I immediately stiffened defensively as I strategically placed myself in front of Stiles while at the same time turning towards the werecoyote. "Someone's coming. Someone fast."
No sooner than the words left her mouth, I felt a shift in the air as someone with supernatural approached us at high velocity and I listened intently for a moment until they were right behind me before spinning around. I slammed my hand into the attacker's sternum with only half of my strength and then followed them to the ground as they fell, pressing my knee down on their chest so they couldn't move. The person underneath me groaned in pain as I felt the adrenaline running through my veins and I glanced down at their face as Malia growled threateningly from behind me.
"Liam!" I exclaimed in shock when his face came into view as I scrambled onto my feet and I held out my hand to help him off of the ground as he grimaced in pain from the landing.
"Scott's in trouble." The Beta explained his sudden presence in a strained voice and my eyes widened in surprise as I pulled him to his feet with ease. I closed my eyes tightly to help my concentration as I focused my supernatural hearing and I tried to eliminate every noise except for Scott's voice.
"This way. Come on." I urged the others when I managed to isolate my brother's voice in the chaos and I opened my eyes as I grabbed Liam's hand before running in the direction his voice had come from.
Raindrops fell from the sky as I led the way towards the back of the school, practically dragging Liam along with me and Malia attempting to pull Stiles with her by the wrist but he kept tripping over his own feet because of her speed. The material of my shirt was sticking to my skin but it was the least of my worries and I saw the outline of four people under the bridge that lead to the athletic fields. The larger of the moving shadows easily threw two of the silhouettes to the side so they landed sprawled on the ground and then approached the last remaining figure.
Adrenaline flooded through my veins as we hurried under the bridge and I froze in horror as I watched the unfamiliar werewolf embed his glowing blue talons into Scott's stomach. A strangled cry escaped me as tears filled my eyes and Liam wrapped an arm around my waist to keep my upright when my knees almost gave out.
"No, no, no." I repeated under my breath like a mantra as I rushed forward when Scott's eyes flashed bright red before fading back to their normal dark brown. He dropped to his knees in his weakened state as I felt my eyes changed to violet and I let out a loud roar as I transformed, drawing the attention of Scott and his attacker.
Scott's eyes became red as he growled loudly for a renewed strength and he grabbed the creatures arm tightly, squeezing until the bone snapped in half with a loud crack. He slowly climbed to his feet as he ripped the talons out of his chest, breaking the claws in the process and they fell onto the ground unceremoniously.
"I don't know who you are or what you thought you were going to do, but I'll give you a choice. You can stay and I'll break something else. Or you can run." Scott told the attacker gravelly while breathing hard as he roughly flung the arm out of his grasp and the attacker stumbled backwards in surprise at the option as he glanced around at the rest of the pack that was present.
"I'd run. Or it won't end with breaking something." I warned him threateningly as I approached them with my eyes still luminescent violet and my claws elongated as though I was poised to rip his throat out. I watched as the werewolf lumbered away from us, disappearing into the darkened night and I let my werewolf visage recede as I rushed to Scott's side in concern. "Scott?!"
"I'm fine. I'm good." My brother assured me in a strained tone as he staggered where he stood and I slipped my arm around his waist to keep him upright while he healed.
"Kira?" I called over my shoulder in concern when I heard her voice speaking to the others and I felt slightly guilty for only paying attention to my brother when she could've been injured in the fight.
"I'm okay." The kitsune replied easily as I helped support Scott's weight while we slowly made our way over to the rest of the pack and I noticed Stile's gaze locked on something over my shoulder. I turned my head to follow his gaze towards the unknown werewolf standing in the shadows of the bridge so that his features were eclipsed in darkness.
I straightened my shoulders defensively as I positioned myself slightly in front of the others with Malia right beside me so that we were on the frontlines in case we were attacked. Scott placed a hand on my arm to keep me from moving as the other werewolf stepped into the light and I caught sight of reasonably hot guy who seemed to be our age standing there with a charming smile on his face. Something about him looked familiar but I was more concerned by the fact that his sudden appearance paralleled with the attack on Scott's life.
"You don't remember me, do you?" the guy asked in an amused tone of voice as his gaze swept over all of us, resting momentarily on Stiles and I before settling on Scott. "I guess I look a little different since the fourth grade."
"Theo?" Scott asked in a whisper as he narrowed his eyes at the stranger and I quirked an eyebrow in realisation as the memories of a cute ten year old with blue eyes that sat behind me in class.
"You know him?" Malia asked in confusion without relaxing her defensive posture as she turned her head towards us and I pursed my lips in acknowledgement but didn't answer because I wasn't sure if we did know him.
"They used to." Theo answered for us in a casual tone as he looked towards the werecoyote and I shifted closer to her instinctively as he turned his gaze the three of us he knew. "Trust me, I never thought I'd see you guys again. Couple of months ago, I heard of an Alpha in Beacon Hills. When I found out his name was Scott McCall, just couldn't believe it. Not just an Alpha, but a True Alpha. And not just a True Alpha, but a True Druid emissary."
"What do you want?" Scott asked pointedly in confusion as he took a step in front of us protectively and I stifled the urge to roll my eyes at him because he was still healing while I was completely capable of defending us.
"I came back to Beacon Hills. Back home with my family. Because I want to be a part of your pack."
"Well, thank you for your interest. We'll take your application into consideration." I said mockingly with a tight smile as I clapped my hands together to draw everyone's attention and Theo's grin widened when we made eye contact but I just narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion.
"Yes, yes, Sophie's right, obviously. Come on, everyone." Stiles stated with forced cheer as he started guiding Malia backwards in the direction of the school and then he paused to look over his shoulder as he pointed warningly at Theo, "Not you."
Theo held up his hands in surrender even though the smile never left his lips as he watched us evacuate the area and I quickly grabbed Liam's bicep to pull him along as we trailed after the rest of the pack. I glanced at the new werewolf over my shoulder with a frown on my lips and I couldn't help but appreciate how attractive he was as he stood there was his hands in his pockets.
I burst out laughing at our predicament as we rushed towards the front of the school in the pouring rain and the others looked at me like I was crazy as I spun around with my arms out wide. My white shirt was saturated with water as the others paused underneath the closest covering and I was thankful that I had decided to wear a bra today as I hurried to catch up to them.
"What is wrong with you?" Stiles asked incredulously with a reluctant smile as he tried to look stern and I laughed instead of answering as I roughly pushed the hair that was plastered to my skin off of my forehead.
"Seriously?" Scott asked with a chuckle of his own as he watched with affection and I pressed a kiss to his cheek with a grin as I practically skipped passed him.
"You all need to remember what fun actually is. I just went through a messy, heart-shattering breakup and I'm having more fun living my life than any of you." I chided them lightly with a shake of my head as I linked my arm through Malia's and then I turned towards the youngest member of our pack with a stern expression, "Okay, Scrappy, you need to stay here and we'll give you a ride home when we're done."
"What? No! Come on, Soph!" Liam complained loudly as he threw his head back in despair but I just shrugged with a carefree smile and started leading Malia towards the front of the school. Scott patted his Beta on the back with a grin while Kira offered him an apologetic smile and Stiles winked at him obnoxiously as he walked passed after us. I ignored the sound of Liam protesting as our group wandered into the front of the school and I fell to the back of the pack with my arm still linked through Malia's.
"Are we going to talk about Theo? We haven't seen this kid in years. You don't find that highly suspicious?" Stiles asked in a demand as he waved his arms around and I nodded in agreement as he looked around all of us for our opinions.
"I find him highly attractive." I commented slyly with a smirk plastered on my lips as I shared a knowing look with Malia and she grinned saucily in return.
"Yes, thank you!" the human exclaimed wildly as he threw his arm in my direction as though I had perfectly proven his point and Scott shook his head in amusement but didn't look overly surprised by his friends theory.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked in outrage as my face contorted in indignation and he shrugged indifferently with a slightly apologetic expression.
"Well, come on, Soph, you know you have a habit of attracting the supernatural creatures of questionable morals. Derek, Peter, Jackson, Isaac, Aiden, Ethan, even Deucalion."
"How is that my fault?"
"I'm not saying it is, I was just pointing it out. No need to be so defensive."
"I'm not being – "
"Guys!" Scott interrupted with a laugh as he turned around abruptly to face us and I immediately fell silent with a pout on my lips as Stiles opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. My brother shook his head at us fondly with a grin as he turned back around and we all continued walking through the double doors of the school. "I'm kind of more concerned about the guy who just tried to kill me."
"He won't be back." I assured them nonchalantly with a dismissive wave of my hand and he shot me a sceptical look as he raised an eyebrow at me but I sent him a confident grin in return.
The sound of something vibrating beside me caused all of us to come to a stop and Malia frowned in confusion as she searched for her phone in her shorts pockets. I bounced on my toes in anticipation as I gripped her arm tightly while she bit her lower lip anxiously and checked the incoming message as a bright grin stretched across her lips, "I'm in. I passed. I'm officially a senior."
I let out a muffled squeal of excitement as I threw my arms around her in congratulations and she returned the gesture with a laugh as the others crowded around us while exclaiming their congratulations.
"Thank God." Lydia exclaimed in exasperation as her voice mixed with the sound of her heels hurrying towards us and I turned around to see her approaching us with a relieved expression. "Where have you guys been? The whole senior class is here. Are we doing this or not?"
A laugh escaped me as I detangled myself from the group embrace and made my way over to my best friend with a grin etched on my lips. I went to wrap my arms around her but she held me at arm's length with an incredulous look and I offered her a wounded pout as she shook her head at me, "Oh no! You are soaking wet. You'll ruin my outfit."
The others chuckled at her vanity as I rolled my eyes playfully and intertwined our arms together as we started following the crowd of students towards the library. Lydia and I childishly attempted to match our footsteps, acting as though we had three legs between the two of us as we giggled to ourselves. I could hear the others murmuring amongst themselves behind us but like I normally was when I was with my best friend, she captivated all of my attention.
When we arrived at the back of the library I saw some of the other students emptying books off of one of the rows of the shelf and I grinned happily as I got in the single file line behind Lydia. We all made idle chitchat as we waited for everybody ahead of us to sign their initials on the blank shelf and I watched the banshee in front of me accept the black marker before neatly jotting down a stylised 'LM'.
I mouthed the word 'thanks' to my best friend when she handed the marker to me with a smile and I bit down on my lower lip as my gaze swept over the already covered metal until my eyes landed on the 'DH' written in familiar handwriting. My lips quirked up in a small smile as I traced the letters with the tip of my finger and I mentally shoved that thought into the locked vault in the back of my mind marked 'Derek Hale: Open At Your Own Risk'.
I hesitated momentarily before carefully writing down my initials next to Lydia's and I felt a wave of nostalgia as I took a step back from the shelf. I nodded to myself in determination as I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from grinning like a maniac and I held the marker out towards Kira with a smile.
"This isn't vandalism, is it?" the kitsune asked in an anxious tone as she hesitated to accept the marker and I tilted my head to the side in consideration as I pursed my lips thoughtfully.
"Not technically." I replied carefully with a shrug of my shoulders and she smiled timidly as she took the marker before turning to write down her own initials. I nodded to myself slightly because whether or not it was technically a crime didn't really matter to me but I was happy that Kira seemed satisfied.
Lydia wrapped an arm around my waist when I stopped next to her and we stood together as we watched Kira, Malia and Stiles all take their time writing their initials before joining us to the side of the shelf where we were waiting. Scott stepped up to the shelf with the marker in his hand as he jotted down a rough 'SM' and then hesitated for a moment in contemplation before adding 'AA' underneath.
"She would have been with us." Stiles murmured quietly for only our pack to hear when my brother joined us and he wrapped his arm around Kira's shoulders with a sad smile.
I looked around at five of only people I trusted, and I remembered that they each had their own memories of Allison. In those moments we shared, the memories we now cherished, she would ever be the beautiful young woman she was when they happen and they could never be replaced. She would smile, she would laugh, she would cry, she would live. As long as we all remembered her, she would never die.
"She still is." I told them firmly in an assured voice as I glanced around at them with a smile, meeting all their eyes and taking in their supportive smiles so that I could mentally catalogue the images into my mind.
This moment where we were all together was now a memory, and as long as I remembered them all, they would never die.