~Breathing Angel Style~

By: Aerys Krystie.

oOo

There were so many things that were wrong with him. Jackson knew this was true, long before he decided to become a werewolf and woke up in a living nightmare. He honestly had no idea what to do about fixing his mind, though. He knew it would take time.

As much as he wanted to mate with Derek, he knew he couldn't. He wasn't good enough for Derek. He could do all that he could for the earth wolf, but they couldn't be mated yet. He had no idea how his mate was going to react. After being denied for so long, Jackson had no idea how Derek was going to react to knowing he didn't want to be claimed.

He stopped running as he reached the clearing. He needed to talk to Derek about it, as he didn't want their tenuous trust to be ruined because Derek felt he was keeping secrets. There were some things that he wasn't ready to talk about and this was one of those. He needed to, though and that was annoying. He stood in the center of the clearing and glared at the sky.

Why couldn't he be normal, for once? He was turned into a kanima and then he became a wolf-shifter. He was starting to believe that Vincent was right about him. His life was going to be one fuck up after another. He didn't want to know what the next one was going to be. He figured it had something to do with the fact that his psyche was shattered, thanks to Sierra's interference.

A snow storm started as Jackson continued to gaze angrily at the sky. He closed his eyes as the snow fell, a small smile appearing on his face. He opened his eyes and held out his hand, watching as the snow gathered and didn't melt. He looked over his shoulder when he heard someone approaching and smiled at Isaac. The werewolf was cautious about going to him and Jackson understood. Things had been weird around the house since his return.

Isaac didn't say anything. A shiver ran through the werewolf and he pulled his jacket around his shoulders a little tighter. Jackson wanted to say something to him, but he couldn't think of anything. Instead, Isaac gazed at him and Jackson heard the words in his mind. Hurt Derek and we'll find a way of taking you out. Jackson nodded and the snow fell harder.

Jackson knew that returning to Beacon Hills was going to be a bad idea. Everyone had seemed so pleased to have him back, until they remembered that he had left them. He had no idea it would hurt everyone so much. He honestly hadn't thought about anything, except running from the pain. He couldn't be around Derek if he wasn't going to accept him. Why would anyone torture themselves like that? If they were given the option of leaving behind everything that caused them pain, they would have taken the offer.

He wasn't given that offer, though. He was just grateful to be around his own kind and that helped him forget about Derek for a few days of the week. His mind would always wander back to what his previous alpha was doing. He never thought that Derek would pine for him, though. He hadn't pined for Derek, so he figured that Derek was stronger when it came to his feelings. Of course, Jackson had a lifetime of experience when it came to hiding what he was really feeling.

At least, he did until the werewolves returned.

The snow was now a foot thick around him and Isaac. Jackson raised his eyes, making out each shape of every snowflake. He cupped his hands. They were filled quickly with the rapidly falling snow. He turned to Isaac and blew the snow into his face, grinning as Isaac swatted at the small pieces of ice. There werewolf narrowed his eyes and Jackson wrapped an arm around his neck, bringing it down and ruffling his hair. Isaac cried out and tried to move away.

Jackson froze when he felt the presence. He released Isaac and stared to the left, moving to stand protectively in front of the werewolf. He wasn't going to responsible for Isaac's death. He told Isaac to go back to the house. Isaac hesitated and Jackson shifted into his wolf form. He snapped at Isaac's legs and the werewolf nodded, running back the way he came.

The snow stopped falling. By the time the last flake had fallen, Sierra was standing five feet from Jackson in her wolf form. She was four feet and three inches at the shoulder. Her white coat shimmered silver and violet in the light. Her eyes swirled between the same colors. Jackson watched her closely as she folded her ears back and lowered her head, snarling at him.

I know where to find him, Jackson. You can't hide him from me. She snickered and Jackson growled. You've never been able to beat me. Jackson shook the snow from his coat and advanced on her. She tilted her head, but decided to circle him. He didn't know if he could get back to the house in time to warn Derek that she was starting to make her move, but he wasn't going to risk it. He would rather go down fighting rather than run away like a coward.

Sierra laughed and lunged for him. Jackson expected her to start the fight. Despite the fact that she was smaller than and not quite as fast as him wasn't a problem for her. She was far more vicious than any of the other wolves in the pack. She growled as her teeth sank into Jackson's ruff. He twisted his neck, trying to find her throat. He dropped his head and bit her leg hard enough to break the bone. She howled in pain and limped back for a moment, glaring at him.

Jackson walked up to her. She was a lot weaker than he remembered her being. Normally, she could work through any pain if it meant that she could get a kill in. He looked down at her and she cowered from him. Something was seriously wrong. Jackson knew he should go in for the kill and be done with it, but he wasn't a murderer, despite what he had done.

However, Sierra's howl had brought the others running. Jackson's eyes widened as they stopped in the clearing and stared at him. Sierra whimpered and tried to move away. Jackson growled when he caught the pheromone she was releasing. It was the same scent that surrounded him when he had tried to court her. She was going to turn the pack against him, if she could.

Jackson was shoved out of the way, a stray branch piercing his right shoulder. He saw that Liam had blindsided him with an attack. He was standing in front of Sierra protectively and Jackson told him to get out of the way. He had no problem going through a werewolf to get to his prey. Sierra's voice whispered through Jackson's mind and he noticed that her pheromone was getting stronger.

Liam was getting more insane the longer he was around her. Jackson's eyes flashed white and a stream of pure oxygen was funneled at Liam. He wrinkled his nose and stepped back. When he raised his head, he blinked and looked around. Jackson smirked mentally. Sierra was going to have a hard time trying that trick again and Jackson would be damned if he let her get away with him.

Sierra's eyes slid over to Derek and Jackson blocked her path towards him. Stop with the act, bitch. No one here is going to fall for it again, Jackson told her and she cocked her head to the side. Jackson shook his head, trying to ignore the fluttering that was happening at the edges of his mind. He could feel her brushing around his barriers. She was trying to find his weak spot and Jackson knew where it was, but he would have to lower his barrier in order to shove her out.

Closing his eyes, Jackson lowered his shields and shoved Sierra out. She snapped back into her body and convulsed as he sent her back with a bunch of foxglove. Her hackles went up and she glared, suddenly not appearing so frail. The snow fell harder and the werewolves were blinded. Jackson knew that Derek wouldn't be able to see through it for much longer, but he could easily make out Sierra's body as she circled him.

The growling and snarling were the only sounds of the fight that the werewolves could pick up. Jackson tried to keep Sierra away from them and Liam. The young beta was still trying to figure out what happened to him and why he would attack someone for a she-wolf. He jumped back when fighting wolves appeared in front of him and made his way to Scott and the others.

One decent attack was all it took for Jackson to know he had lost the fight. Sierra bit his right hind leg, which released a yelp of pain from Jackson. His already injured shoulder wasn't helping him much in the fight. Her teeth sank into his ruff and she threw him to the side. A spear of ice pierced his injured shoulder again and Jackson growled. He snapped off the spear and put the pressure on his right leg as he limped forward. He couldn't allow her to get near Derek.

Sierra tilted her head. You actually love him? She threw back her head and let out a strange coughing sound that Jackson quickly realized was laughter. Her body shook for a moment and then a black-pink liquid trickled from her mouth. The snow slowly stopped falling as she tried to cough up the poison that Jackson had sent her. She raised her head and then ran off into the forest. Jackson knew he couldn't follow her; he was too injured to even think of moving.

The snow surrounding them was tainted with blood and Jackson turned towards the others. They all looked shell-shocked. Jackson limped towards them, grateful when Isaac picked him up. Jackson glanced at Derek and saw that he was still staring after Sierra. If he wanted to follow her and try his hand at killing her, Jackson wished him well. He wasn't in any position to help him, despite wanting to rip her throat out. For the first time since he became a wolf-shifter, Jackson wished he wasn't an omega.

He was taken back to the house and up to his room. He gratefully sank into his bed and closed his eyes, trying to focus the last of his energy on healing. He felt Isaac lying behind him, hugging him tightly. In a few minutes, Stiles was in front of him, hugging him as well. Allison and Scott managed to get onto the bed, gently stroking his fur. He could feel their concern and their pain that they couldn't help him. He loved that they cared so much about him and couldn't believe he had caused them so much pain by leaving.

Liam and Malia hovered in the doorway for a moment, until Scott told them to come in. Malia inquired as to why they were surrounding Jackson and Stiles said none of them understood it. For some reason, since Jackson was fighting the fever three years ago, it just felt right to be around him and hug him when he was injured. After all, he was absolutely adorable in his wolf form and no one liked seeing an animal in pain. Jackson tenderly nuzzled Stiles' cheek, earning a grin from the human.

The new members of the pack didn't understand it completely, but they climbed onto the foot of bed and carefully positioned themselves around Jackson's hind legs. They fell into a comfortable silence and Jackson knew that Allison, Isaac and Scott were asleep. Liam and Malia were getting there, but Stiles was staring at him with pity in his brown eyes. I'm sorry I was so hard on you. Jackson gave the illusion that he was shaking his head. He understood why Stiles acted the way he did. He didn't want any of them apologizing for acting on their feelings.

Jackson licked Stiles' cheek. The human huffed in mock irritation, but closed his eyes and fell asleep. Jackson raised his head and looked at the werewolves that surrounded him and smiled, lowering his head again. It was amazing to be surrounded by the pack, even if it did bring up memories of when he would slumber with the snow wolves. He exhaled quietly and closed his eyes, deciding he should join the others with the nap. If he was lucky, when he woke up he would be mostly healed and he could help Derek hunt down Sierra.

oOo

When Jackson woke, he was in his human form and he was on the cushions he had set up on the floor. His left hand was cuffed and he was still surrounded by the others. They had followed him down to the floor, in the same positions as before. He undid the cuff and sat up. Isaac and Stiles fell from his body, but neither of them woke. He gingerly pulled his legs out from under Liam and Malia. Malia opened her eyes and gazed at him blankly for all of four seconds and then fell asleep again.

Jackson made his way out of the center of them and grinned, watching as they moved closer to each other. He figured they needed an actual room for that. He made his way downstairs and made himself a fruit salad as well as a cup of peppermint tea. He went into the living room, raising an eyebrow when he saw Tsuki in there, watching some black and white horror movie. The demon said nothing as Jackson sat beside him on the sofa, tucking a foot under his leg.

He ate his fruit in silence, staring at the Vincent Price movie. He grinned as he heard the man's voice and realized he had forgotten about his love for Vincent Price cinema. As the movie drew to a close, Tsuki stood and left the room. Jackson finished his tea, sitting back and waiting for the next movie to come on. His eyes lit up when he saw that it was 'The House of Wax.' It had terrified him as a child, especially when his parents did take him to a wax museum. He screamed like he was being tortured

Nowadays, Jackson could quite happily watch it and enjoy the performance from the late Mister Price. He settled back into the sofa, created a blanket and threw it across his legs. He made a bowl of popcorn, which he started eating as the movie began. He placed a popped kernel in his mouth one at a time, eyes glued to the screen, heart pounding in his chest as he remembered the fear he felt from his childhood. A grin spread over his face.

The grin dropped and a scream left his mouth when someone touched his shoulder. The popcorn went flying and he jumped to his feet, staring at the asshat that would sneak up on someone. Derek tilted his head slightly, an amused twinkle in his eyes as Jackson tried to catch his breath and get his heart to resume a normal pace. He growled and punched Derek. The earth wolf caught his wrist and forced his fingers open. Once their fingers were laced, Jackson found that he couldn't remain angry at his mate.

Derek pulled him close and kissed his forehead, his spare hand sliding down the back of Jackson's head to rest on his neck. Jackson glanced at the spilled popcorn and it disappeared. A fresh batch appeared in the bowl and Jackson dragged Derek down onto the sofa. Jackson rested against the arm of the sofa, while Derek sat in the middle. The snow wolf had the bowl of popcorn against his abdomen, which forced Derek to lean over him every time he wanted some. Eventually, Derek just rested against Jackson's back.

By the time the movie ended, Derek was asleep on Jackson's shoulder. The others stirred upstairs, which forced Derek to open his eyes. Jackson told him to go back to sleep, but Derek shook his head and sat up. He ran his hands through his hair, getting to his feet and stretching out his back. Jackson exhaled sharply and stood. He pushed Derek down and threw the blanket at him, ordering him to sleep again and walked out of the living room, closing the doors and sealing them with ice.

There was a small pang of guilt, but Jackson pushed it back and went upstairs. Scott and Stiles were sitting up, rubbing their eyes. Allison and Isaac were snuggled together, the same with Liam and Malia. None of them seemed bothered by the fact that their alpha was awake, though Jackson figured that Scott told them to remain asleep. He beckoned them to follow him downstairs, where he had an array of sugary snacks set out, which were entirely vegan. He grinned as the pair shadowed him downstairs. They sat in the kitchen, eating cakes and ice-cream as they spoke quietly.

It wasn't long before the topic of the conversation turned to Sierra. Jackson really didn't want to talk about her, but she did pose a threat to the pack and that wasn't something he could allow. He quickly explained that he would be teaching Derek everything that Sierra had taught him. It would only be a crash course, since he didn't have the luxury of spending three years with the earth wolf. Still, it was better than nothing and that was all that mattered. Derek had spent his entire life as a werewolf, so he would have natural talent to dip into.

Stiles reached for the triple chocolate cake, spraying it with whipped cream. "What's her deal? I thought she was here to take on Derek, but she fought you instead."

Jackson lowered his eyes, pushing around a piece of red velvet cake. He finally ate it, giving himself more time to think of the right words. "She is here to take out Derek, which would force me into continuing the mating ritual with her. However, I can't allow that until Derek has had some kind of training in her fighting style. She's a dirty fighter and she will use any trick she can to win."

"So…" Scott trailed off, looking down at the caramel cheesecake in front of him. "…you thought it would be a good idea to take her on, alone? You do realize that Derek is probably the best fighter here. He's had the most experience when it comes to defending his territory."

"Speaking of territory," Stiles said around a large mouthful of cake. He swallowed quickly. "What happened to that Aussie guy? I thought he was meant to be helping us with that xylomancer."

Jackson frowned. He hadn't thought of that. He had gotten the information he needed from Mark, which made Kal basically useless to them. He did heal Jackson from the burn, but he was certain anyone could have done that. He shrugged in answer to Stiles' question. Kal had said he wasn't needed anymore and left the house. He hadn't been of much use, except to speak with Vincent about some things and drink a lot of beer. Jackson's liver ached at the amount of alcohol the unknown shifter had consumed in the few hours he was in the house for.

It never did occur to him to ask how Mark had come across the knowledge of the xylomancer.

"Pity," Stiles mumbled and finished off his slice of cake. He reached for the caramel cheesecake. "I would've liked to add him to the bestiary I'm working on. Do we know what type of shifter he was? I mean, I've gotten all I can on snow, earth and fire wolves." He cut a large slice of the cheesecake and grinned, his eyes dancing under the lights of the kitchen. "This is the best way to talk, by the way."

Jackson and Scott glanced at each other, smirking. "No, I don't know what kind of shifter he was," Jackson answered and took the blueberry pie. "All I know is that he was from Western Australia, but there are a lot of native animals there. He could have been a possum or something."

"Or a sugar glider," Scott offered as he brought out his phone and pulled up a picture of the mentioned animal. He showed it to Jackson. The snow wolf laughed.

"Something that adorable could not be a shifter. Just look at the little nose!" The laughter was cut short when Jackson and Scott looked at the entrance. "Is that Danny and Ethan?" Jackson asked as he stood and opened the front door. His face broke out into a grin as he saw his best friend. "You're just in time for cake."

Danny's face lit up and jogged up to the door, hugging Jackson tightly before he slipped inside. Ethan nodded and followed his mate. Jackson heard the ice on the living room doors break and figured that Derek really want to join them. He shook his head and went to the kitchen, sitting beside Danny. He watched as his friend went straight for the apple pie. Ethan looked torn between the cherry pie and the triple chocolate cake. Jackson told him to take a slice of both. The alpha shrugged and did so.

Derek joined them, taking the seat beside Jackson. Once Danny and Ethan had finished their first slices, Ethan looked at Jackson. "We were visited by a wolf-shifter. She said she was a friend of yours."

What little color Jackson did have drained from his face. He lowered his eyes for a moment, trying not to beat himself up too much. He should have known that Sierra would go after those that he cared about, but he never thought she would hunt down his scent to see who he visited. He always expected her to hone in on Derek and focus on him completely. He raised his eyes; ready to apologize for whatever it was she did. He hadn't smelled blood on either of them, but that didn't mean she didn't do something bad.

Danny shook his head. He had always been able to read Jackson like a book. "She didn't do anything. She just asked about you and what you were up to. She said that you were her mate." He raised an eyebrow in question and Jackson shook his head.

Jackson waved his hand and gave everyone a cup of coffee. "I was going to mate with her, but our pack was attacked by a xylomancer before the ritual could even begin." He lowered his eyes, turning from Derek slightly as he still felt the shame. He tensed when he felt Derek's hand on his lower back. "I thought I had killed her, since she went insane from the eucalyptus poisoning her, not before she managed to poison me. I came back here…"

With a sigh, Jackson stood and moved into the actual kitchen. He paced from the door to the table. He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts into some kind of order. Nothing seemed to be making sense. What was the point of going to Danny and Ethan, jus to tell them that she was going to be his mate? Did she think that she could recruit them to help her? Telling them wouldn't wedge them apart. It was highly possible that she wanted them to come to him and let him know she could get to anyone that she wanted.

Jackson ran his hands through his hair, resting them on his neck as he paced. He jumped slightly when he walked into Derek. Blinking, Jackson stepped around him and continued with his pacing. He really didn't want to stop. If he stopped, he might lose his concentration. He sighed when Derek wrapped his arms around him and took him out the backdoor. The others shrugged and started eating the desserts that were on the table, trying to pretend they weren't listening in.

"What's gotten into you?" Derek asked as he placed Jackson on his feet. "Why does it bother you so much that she talked to Danny and Ethan?"

Jackson rolled his eyes. "How would you feel if your psychotic ex-almost mate talked to your best friend and his mate? She's toying with me. She wants me to know that I can't keep anyone safe. If I watch over Danny and Ethan, then I leave you alone. If I stay with you, then I leave Danny and Ethan alone." His breath came out in short bursts.

Derek shook his head and Jackson knew he was going into a panic attack. He was getting worse than McCall before the bite. He couldn't be responsible for the death of Danny or Ethan. It would destroy the other if one of them was ripped to shreds. The very idea of being responsible closed off his throat and he fell to his hands and knees, staring at the ground and trying to calm down. It would be almost like the kanima incident, where he was the puppet, but not the puppet master that was pulling the strings. Yet he knew what would happen if he didn't stop Sierra.

Calm down, Jackson, Derek whispered as he got a knee beside Jackson and rubbed his back. It took moments for the others to come outside and Jackson felt his face flush. Nearly everyone got to bear witness to his panic attack. He closed his eyes and tried to force his throat to open and get the air in. He raised his head when Stiles knelt in front of him. He gasped when he was slapped. Derek growled and pinned Stiles down by the throat, glaring at the human.

Jackson pulled Derek back and Stiles sat up, gasping and rubbing his throat. Jackson thanked Stiles for his help and dragged a still glaring and growling Derek back into the house. The moment they were through the door, Derek pulled free and inspected Jackson's cheek. Jackson moved his head away. It wasn't going to bruise, though it did still sting. He shook his head and sat down at the table, grabbing a slice of the caramel cheesecake. He knew it was stupid to eat his feelings, but he couldn't think of anything else to do.

Once he had finished off the caramel cheesecake, he glanced at Derek. The earth wolf was resting against the breakfast counter, gazing at him pensively. "Where did you disappear to for a few hours?" Jackson inquired as his eyes moved to the ceiling. "You weren't with us for the pack snuggle."

"I found Sierra and asked her what it would take to have her disappear without dying." Derek shrugged and crossed his arms. "In order for her to go, I need to die. I didn't agree with that and tried to kill her then. For a poisoned wolf, she's rather fast and extremely vicious."

Jackson nodded and grabbed the cherry pie, just as the others entered. Stiles seemed fine, though he did shoot a scathing look at Derek. He sat down and grabbed the triple chocolate cake, spraying it with whipped cream and drizzling chocolate syrup on it. Jackson's teeth were aching at the sight of all that sugar and he shook his head, handing the pie over to Ethan. He tried not to think about how much fun they were having before Derek showed up at the table.

Danny mentioned that the apple pie was amazing and Jackson raised an eyebrow. He was never a fan of the apple pie, despite knowing how un-American that made him. Danny held out his spoon, which had a piece of the pie on it that was smothered in custard. Jackson sighed and ate it, grimacing and swallowing without chewing. He still didn't like cooked apples. He stuck his tongue out and glared at Danny for a moment and then downed his coffee, grateful when it washed away the taste of the pie. Danny laughed and shook his head.

Jackson stood, messing up Danny's hair as he said he needed to head upstairs. Scott and Stiles both raised eyebrows at him. He didn't say anything more, but beckoned Derek to follow him. Danny and Ethan smirked at him knowingly and Jackson rolled his eyes. He said nothing as he jogged upstairs to Derek's room. He waited for his mate.

The moment the door was closed, Jackson pulled Derek to the center of the room and removed his mate's shirt and jacket. He forced back a growl when he could smell Sierra on him. He walked around; stopping at Derek's back and gazing at the small scar on his right shoulder. He kissed it, running his fingers down Derek's neck and across his shoulder. His hand moved down to Derek's hip and slipped just into the waistband. He reached up and placed his lips to Derek's neck, licking the skin.

He pushed Derek onto the bed, crawling on top of him and kissing that amazing abdomen. He ran a hand down Derek's thigh and his jeans and shoes vanished. Jackson made his way up to Derek's throat, closing his eyes as he inhaled his scent. He opened his eyes and looked up at Derek. The earth wolf was watching him with contentment, as though having Jackson replace Sierra's scent with his own was a dream come true for him. Derek raised a hand and placed it on Jackson's head, massaging the scalp.

Jackson smiled, nuzzling Derek's cheek. "If you ever come back smelling like another wolf again, I will pull your balls out through your throat," he threatened sweetly. The hand stopped for a moment and Derek tensed. "I only give out one warning. Just like how you only ask nicely once."

Derek's hand moved to Jackson's neck. He gripped it tightly and the snow wolf's head snapped up. "Then let me tell you something. If you don't let me claim you soon, I will take you by force." The hand moved to Jackson's cheek, cupping it for a moment and then lowered so Derek could run his thumb over Jackson's lower lip.

Jackson kissed the thumb and lowered his head, pressing his lips to Derek's gently. The kiss wasn't deepened and it didn't become some power play. Jackson pulled and rolled to the side, resting his head on Derek's shoulder and closing his eyes. He loved being around the pack when sleeping, but he enjoyed it even more when he was with his mate. His clothing disappeared and a pair of white boxer briefs appeared. His hand lazily stroked Derek's smooth chest, while Derek's thumb rubbed his shoulder.

For a long moment, Jackson could forget the problems they were facing. He was certain that they had appeased the xylomancer as there hadn't been anymore attacks on them. He could have sworn that Tsuki or Vincent would have told them if the xylomancer was gone. He smiled and mentally shook his head. Neither of them were the type to reveal anything. He opened his eyes when he felt Derek's hand slide down his back and land on the bed. He glanced up and saw that the earth wolf was asleep.

Jackson smiled and pulled the covers over their bodies. Derek inhaled deeply and turned onto his side, pulling Jackson against him. A hand slid down and rested on his hip. Jackson nuzzled into Derek's chest and closed his eyes, letting his body have a sugar crash. Hopefully when they woke up, they could get straight into the training aspect of this battle. He needed to teach Derek as much as he could, especially if he already lost to her once. The second time would mean his death and Jackson wasn't going to allow that to happen.

oOo

Scott walked out of the house and stood on the front porch. He watched as the trees swayed in the light breeze that blew through them. He glanced to his right and raised an eyebrow when he saw Tsuki standing there. He honestly thought he would have seen the demon when he walked out. Tsuki practically glowed in the darkness he was that pale. It might also have something to do with his name, but Scott wasn't out there to think about the ironies that surrounded him.

He had no idea why he was out there, actually. It just seemed liked a good idea to enjoy the night, especially after all the sugar he just consumed. Danny and Ethan had asked to spend the night and Scott showed them to a spare bedroom. Ethan had asked questions about what it was like to have wolf-shifters in the pack. Scott honestly didn't notice much of a difference, except none of them had to cook or do the dishes. It was making them lazy, but it was such a convenience that he didn't want it to stop.

Stiles had gone upstairs to crash out, which left Scott alone to stare out at the dark forest surrounding them. He wasn't ready to sleep, especially since they had an insane wolf-shifter to worry about. He knew he wouldn't be any kind of challenge to her, but he couldn't let her roam the town. She was hell bent on framing Jackson for the murders that were happening, if what Derek told him was anything to go by. Never before had he felt utterly useless. At least when it came to the doppelgangers, he could do something to help. If Sierra attacked him, he would only be good at standing there and accepting the punishment she dealt out.

Scott sighed and frowned when a hand touched his shoulder. He glanced at Tsuki. The demon wasn't paying any attention to him. Scott crossed his arms and stared at one tree. He knew that he should call his mom and make sure that she was safe. He couldn't see any reason why Sierra would target him, since he wasn't the one that stole her mate-to-be. It wasn't as though Jackson was close to Scott's mother or Stiles' dad or Allison's father. All of them should be safe, but Jackson had seemed concerned for their safety.

He accepted the phone that Tsuki handed him and dialed his mother's number. She answered on the second ring and Scott felt relief flood his body. He made sure that nothing strange had happened and she told him that it was a basic night. She then told him to hang up and get some sleep. Scott said he loved her and hung up, but he made no indication that he was going to bed. There was something strange about the night. He tapped the phone against his chin, glancing at Tsuki when he lowered his hand.

Scott's attention was drawn to someone dropping in the front. Vincent shook his hair back and walked up the stairs. He stood beside Scott and lit a cigarette. He could still see Vincent in his animal form. It had shocked the hell out of him. He really didn't believe that Vincent was a dragon-shifter, merely because dragons were a mythical creature. It was still amazing to see a man grow and stretch until he became a dragon. Vincent was taller than all of them, but that didn't mean that he would be a dragon.

Still, he was a dragon and Stiles had been stunned into silence as they stared up at the large beast. The scales shimmered crimson and emerald in the light, much like Vincent's hair did when he dropped his magic. He had spoken to them in a deep voice that echoed through his heads and vibrated through their bones. Scott knew he was moments from fainting. The teeth were at least a foot long and pearly white, as though Vincent took great care of his oral hygiene. Then he had seen the wicked looking barb on Vincent's tail and Scott decided he really didn't want to mess with him.

Scott was pulled from his memories when he heard a sob. He frowned and glanced at the demon on his left and the dragon on his right. Neither of them appeared to have uttered the sound, but they had registered that it happened. Vincent was staring to the left, as was Tsuki. They made no move to see what it was as they probably already knew. At least Tsuki would know, as he claimed to know nearly everything that would happen to them, but it was against the rules for him to reveal anything that could be changed.

The sob sounded again and it was breathless. Scott had just stepped off the last step when a girl came crashing through. She stumbled and landed in a heap by Scott's feet. He crouched down and looked her over. She was human, covered in scratches from the woods, but didn't appear to be seriously injured. She raised her head and her blue eyes were wide with fear. She looked at Vincent and Tsuki. The duo cocked their heads to the side as they gazed back.

Scott looked over his shoulder when he heard movement in the house. Allison, Ethan and Isaac came out to see what was happening. The others apparently decided to stay asleep. Allison's eyes widened and she ran to the girl that had backed away from Scott and was cowering. She tried talking softly, but the girl was inconsolable. She gripped her messy brown hair, rocking back and forth as she muttered something about white being everywhere she looked.

They couldn't take her inside, as she would wake everyone and neither Derek nor Jackson cared who saw their eyes. The last thing they needed was for this girl to freak out even more about swirling eyes. Scott was thankful that Vincent rarely dropped his magic, especially when he was around new people. It had taken him six months to show off his eyes to Liam and Malia.

Tsuki walked up to the girl and knelt in front of her. Scott watched as Tsuki took hold of her wrists and lowered her arms. He frowned. The girl had screamed when Allison tried to touch her. Scott was aware that Tsuki had some kind of special power when it came to those that were in pain, but he never thought he would see it first hand. The demon tilted his head and relaxed his back so he was slouching slightly. The girl was staring at him, eyes wide and frightened.

Scott, please grab a blanket from the closet. Scott nodded and ran into the house. He went to the linen closet in the hallway and grabbed a blanket. He took it outside, just as Ethan and Allison came inside to make the girl something to drink. Tsuki took the blanket and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders. She raised her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. She stared at Scott and he smiled kindly, kneeling beside Tsuki.

"I'm Scott," he said softly. "What's your name?"

The girl cleared her throat. "Sarah. Sarah Kanter."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sarah. Did you want to come inside, where it's warmer? My friends are making you something hot to drink."

Sarah glanced at Tsuki. The demon nodded and stood, offering his hand to Sarah. She accepted it and was led into the house by Tsuki. Scott watched them go. He noticed the way that Vincent and Tsuki exchanged looks, as though they were having a conversation with just a simple gaze. It ended a few moments later when Tsuki went inside. Vincent's eyes flickered to Scott and the dragon smirked, beckoning to the werewolf. Scott sighed and joined Vincent on the porch.

"I'm about to have another member of the pack, aren't I?" Scott stood upwind from Vincent as the dragon lit another cigarette. He rubbed his neck and sighed again. "How do they always find us?"

Vincent turned his back to the trees and crossed his legs at the ankles. "You said it yourself when you were talking to Jax. You offered the bite to Liam so he had somewhere to fit in. Derek did the same thing with his pack, with the exception of Jax. He really just wanted to bed him, until the kanima shit hit the fan. You accepted Malia into your pack so she had somewhere to belong. You have Stiles hanging around, because he has no where else to go. Miss Kanter has nowhere to go. Her parents were just murdered tonight."

Scott blinked and looked towards the door. He had no idea how Vincent knew that much about Sarah, but he was closely connected with Tsuki and the demon had the ability to slip into people's minds. It shouldn't be of any real surprise that Vincent could do the same thing, since Derek had the same ability. However, he had to make sure that Sarah was a good fit for his pack. He didn't want anyone feeling out of place around her, especially since her parents were dead.

He nodded at Vincent and went inside, finding Sarah with Allison and Ethan in the kitchen. She was shoveling some kind of stew into her mouth. She was acting like a starving animal and Allison was trying to get her to slow down, in case her body rejected it. Sarah shook her head and said that she hadn't had anything to eat in a week. Scott and Ethan discretely sniffed at her. Neither of them had noticed the usual scent that surrounds a homeless person. She wasn't homeless and there wasn't any reason for to actually lie. However, her heart didn't skip a beat. So she was either like Jackson and could lie without trying or she was telling the truth and her family had hit a rough patch.

"How old are you?" Allison asked as she stood and grabbed a bottle of water.

"I'm sixteen next month," Sarah replied between mouthfuls. She cracked open the water and drained the contents in seconds. She stared at Ethan and Scott. "What are you two? There's something different about the two of you."

Ethan looked at Scott. He was asking if they should tell her, but Scott wasn't so sure if that was a good idea. He also had no idea how she could tell that there was something different about them. She hadn't said anything about Tsuki or Vincent and they were weird compared to him and Ethan. There was something different about her. As much as he wanted to say that, he really didn't want to sink that level of childishness.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Scott said with a shrug. "You're a long way from the town. Were you chased into the forest?"

Sarah nodded and drank the tea in front of her. "I was chased by this massive wolf. And I mean it was huge. It was like a foot shorter than me. I've never seen a wolf that as tall as a human before. I know that wolves are meant to be big, but are they normally that big?" She shrugged. "I guess it got lost on its way to Yellowstone."

Scott blinked and pulled Ethan out of the kitchen and towards the front of the house. "What do you smell on her?"

Ethan glanced back at the kitchen. "She isn't telling us the full truth. Something happened, but I don't think she's ready to talk about it. She needs time to get her mind working." He rubbed the back of his neck. "How could she know we're different?"

Scott held his hands up. He honestly had no idea how to even begin deciphering that. All he knew was that a wolf had driven Sarah into the forest. It was highly likely that Sierra was that wolf. What didn't make sense was that Sierra had driven Sarah to the forest. He couldn't understand it and he really didn't want to. There was one major crisis that he had to think about and that was Sierra. Whatever was happening with Sarah and her murdered parents wasn't much of a problem for him, until it became one.

Movement on the stairs got his attention. Scott raised an eyebrow when he saw Jackson walking down in a pair of boxer briefs, scratching his lower back and yawning. When he closed his mouth, he smiled and nodded at Scott and shot a warning glare at Ethan. Before either of them even realized what was happening, Jackson was walking into the kitchen with his eyes swirling between blue and silver. There was a pause and then a scream. Scott sighed. Showtime.

End Chapter VII.

Thanks for reading and the next one should be up soon.

Until the next one!

Peace.

Auska.