With the dogs walked, the kittens played with, and the one random raccoon being kenneled while his owner is on vacation distracted with his shiny toy, I have some thirty minutes to chill and do nothing until Deaton lets me go. Meaning it's time to catch up on my reading. It's stupid, but I'm hoping at least something kinda good happens after the Red Wedding.

Because the universe hates me, this is when Stiles decides to call me.

"Your idiot cousin isn't here," he huffs in irritation in place of a greeting. I make a face. The kid seriously needs to get lessons in manners.

"And by here you mean…?"

"School! He went off with Allison halfway through the day because it's her birthday or something."

I snap my book shut and straighten. "Qué?"

"I called him and he totally hung up on me! Lydia isn't at school either, Jackson is all sorts of freaked out, and even if he wasn't I couldn't talk to him. I think I'm gonna try to talk to Lydia once I get out of here."

"You mean to tell me Scott just went and ditched? He's failing, like, all of his classes!"

"You do realize someone is dead and two teenagers are traumatized, right?" Stiles says. "A little tact, Ares, please."

I roll my eyes. " Oh, you're one to talk. Those the kids that saw the attack, then?"

"Yeah. Look, do you think maybe you can - I dunno - talk to the Satan Spawn and see if he has any ideas?"

I make a face. "Satan Spawn being…?"

"Derek! I don't like him, but he has a better idea of what to expect than any of us and he likes you. At least he doesn't threaten you all that much," he amends.

I let out a sigh. "I'll see what I can do, but he's about as green as we are when it comes to serial killer monsters." The door to the examination room opens and Deaton walks out, papers in his hands. "I gotta go. Don't be stupid."

I hang up before he can say anything, stuffing my phone in my pocket and smiling up at the Doc. He arches a brow.

"I'm not going to ask."

"It's probably for the best."

He holds out the papers in his hands. "How about you put this information in the computer for me, and then you're free to go."

"Sweet." I take the papers from his hands. Deaton turns to head back with the animals again, and before I can even process what's coming out of my mouth I say, "Yo, Doc, you've been here forever, right?" He stops at the door, turning to face me again. He has a brow arched, so I rush to finish. "In Beacon Hills, I mean."

He nods. "Yes. My family has been here for a very long time." He pauses. "Why do you ask?"

I hesitate, try to find the best way to ask. "Has… has anything like what happened last night and with the bus driver ever happened before?" I ask. "Like, the crazy animal attacks?"

Deaton's expression softened with understanding. "Oh. Well, with the Preserve right here, it's almost expected for a mountain lion to get aggressive every now and then when too many people pass through their territory."

"The guy last night wasn't anywhere near the preserve though," I say, pretending to study the papers in my hands. "Neither was the bus driver."

"No, they weren't." Something in Deaton's tone makes me look up. His expression is hard to read. When he notices me staring, he offers a small smile. "Don't worry too much about it, Ares."

"Alright."

He leaves it at that. It does little to make me feel any better.

"Okay, on a scale of one to ten, how opposed are you to-oh my god you have a tattoo!" I exclaim, walking into the glorious sight that is shirtless Derek Hale doing pull ups. Sonya and Warren are gonna be so jealous, it's not even funny. "Since when do you have a tattoo?"

Derek drops and turns to face me, brow raised and face slightly flushed and yup. So jealous. "I wasn't aware we were sharing that kind of information yet," he drawls.

"Well we are now." I gesture to him in all his nasty sweat covered glory. "I've seen you half naked now. This is a huge step in our relationship." I look up at him with wide eyes and clutch at my imaginary pearls. "I'm not ready for this kind of commitment!"

"Well, there goes my plans of a romantic proposal later," he says flatly.

I throw my head back in my laughter. "You're a dork. What are you doing, anyway? We're getting food."

"I never agreed to that," Derek reminds me. I roll my eyes as he goes on. "Besides, I just started my work out."

I glance around, taking in the smoke ruined everything that is the inside of the Hale House. This is actually the first time I've been in here, and it's… I might need to make him move into somewhere that's much more stable. "You can skip one workout. You don't have anything to worry about right now. Your abs are…" I don't finish, instead picking up my hand and waving the A-OK sign at him. He snorts his laughter. "And what kinda loser works out without any music?"

"I'm a loser now?"

"Oh, honey, you've always been a loser." I rock back on my heels. "Come on, let's go get food! I didn't eat lunch earlier and I'm not getting a dinner break at work today because Tara is a horrible human being and isn't coming in tonight because she went and got sick." His look of defiance wavers. "I'm paying anyway. You literally just have to sit there and look mean and scary to keep away the creeps."

"Really?"

"Go change," I say with a dismissive wave of my hand. "I'm gonna wait right here," I tell him, plopping down on the first step of the stairs and pulling out my phone. The blue notification light blinks at me as Derek shakes his head and disappears to hopefully change.

BFF5L (1 new message)

so Elliot is in one of my classes this semester, have I told you about that?
he asked about you
should I tell him you have a hot serial killer boyfriend?
(B)

I blink down at the message. It's like she knows what I was just talking to Derek about.

Are you serious, why is he asking about me?
Did he not get the message when I put a taser to his dick?!
(A)
he still totally wants to hook up with you, i guess
or he's plotting to get revenge, that's also a possibility
warren and I've told him to fuck off
(B)

I love you 3
(A)
I know. you should still let me tell him you have a boyfriend that can kick his ass. what's his last name, I'll find his facebook and show him off around here
(B)
The love has died
(A)

"Hey, if you ever get a friend request from a brown girl named Sonya Langston, I need you to block her," I call back to Derek. "Because I might have let slip you look like a serial killer sometimes and she wants to know if you're hot and maybe use you to scare an old boyfriend away."

"What are you going on about?" Derek asks, reappearing back in the foyer. I glance up at him, doing a double take of him as he pulls on his leather jacket. He literally looks like he's ready for a Vogue photo op. "That's not fair," I mutter, holding my hand out for him to pull me up. He frowns and grabs my hand.

"What's not fair?" he asks, hauling me up as if it's nothing. I gesture to him.

"All that. I need at least an hour to look not disgusting after a workout, and even then it's questionable." I pull out my keys and twirl them by the ring as I push open the door and walk out, Derek following.

"It's a natural talent," he says. "You either have it or you don't."

I crinkle my nose at him as I unlock the passenger side door and throw it open for Derek. "Behold the Turtle and all its glory!"

"Beautiful," he deadpans.

"Ain't she?" I grin up at Derek before going around to my side and jumping in once the door was open. "So where we going?

"What happened to healthy?" Derek asks. I bring up my middle finger at him as I dip a fry into my chocolate milkshake. He snorts his laughter, leaning back in the booth and shaking his head. "You're horrible." Angie the Waitress-because she's always working, it seems-sees the gesture and scowls. I drop my hand and duck my head.

"Don't judge me. I ran this morning, I'm good."

He arches a brow. "You ran?"

I make a face at him. "Don't look so shocked, bro, it's rude." He holds his hands up in defense, but doesn't look too convinced. "You're not the only one with a workout routine. Scott and Melissa told me about how the track is open to the public so long as it isn't school hours or a meet, so I go there in the morning. It's great. No one is ever there, so I can blast 'Eye of the Tiger' and not get judged."

Derek frowns, all good humor gone. "And did you forget that there's a rogue Alpha running around?" he demands quietly, glancing around the diner to make sure no one heard him. I drop my head back.

"Der-"

"I'm serious, you're just going by yourself?"

"I take my pepper spray," I say sullenly, crossing my arms and slouching in the seat. "And it's not like I've died yet."

"Yet." He shakes his head. "Can't believe you sometimes."

"The important thing is that I'm not getting fat," I say matter of factly, patting my stomach lightly. I have, like, five pounds that forever haunt me. Probably not the best idea to be eating all this junk, but whatever. I'm coming to learn that I can live with five extra pounds, even if Elisa couldn't.

"The important thing is for you to stay alive."

I cock my head to the side at his tone. "Derek Hale, do you care?" I tease.

He glares at me. "Shut up and eat your food." I roll my eyes.

"Not that I don't appreciate your concern, but you can suck a dick if you think I'm giving up my morning runs," I tell him. "It's the only normal thing I have left in the world. You can even come with if you're so worried about it, I'm always there by 5:45, only on weekdays because the weekend is a weekend for a reason." I pull a leg up and cross it under the other. "So what'd you do today?" I ask conversationally. "Chase any rabbits?"

He gives me a flat look. "Dog jokes getting old, Ares."

I make a face. "Terrorize any teenagers, then? Since you seem so good at that."

"Not unless Jackson counts," he says causally. I narrow my eyes at him, only for them to widen when I realize he's being serious.

"No wonder Stiles said he was acting all weirded out!"

"If it makes you feel any better, we know he didn't see anything now," Derek says lightly before taking a bite of his burger. I take a breath to keep myself from throwing a handful of fries at him.

"He probably thinks you're some kinda creep!" I pause. "I mean, more so than you actually are." And Derek Hale reveals that he is actually a five year old and opens his mouth at me. I bring up my hand to shield my eyes, something between a cry and laughter escaping my mouth. "Oh my god, you absolute child!"

He's grinning, mouth finally free of food, when I drop my hand. "He actually thinks I'm Scott's drug dealer."

"I wonder why," I say, shaking my head at him. "I thought I was supposed to be the immature one."

"You're a bad influence," he says.

I nod. "Obviously. But it could be worse," I say, snatching up my milkshake. "At least here I don't have access to alcohol. Man, the choices made when drunk." I shake my head, thinking back to my first semester at college. "18 was a fun year, if you ignore the whole murderous step-mom thing," I say brightly. Derek arches a brow, but I don't bother to elaborate. I don't think we're to the level of sharing fucked up family history just yet, werewolf shit aside.

"Nooo, mi tortaaa!"

Derek shakes his head as I pull out my phone and open the message.

Stiletto (2 new messages)

I found this on Lydia's phone.
[Download media]

"I'm so done with with this kid," I mutter, playing the video Stiles sent. The movie rental store fills the screen, and my brows furrow in confusion. "The hell, St- Madre de Dios!" The window of the store shatters and I drop my phone on the table, jumping back in shock. Derek looks up in alarm, eyes wide with concern.

"Ares?"

"Fuckin', they got the thing on camera!" I say, nodding to the phone and trying to keep my hands from shaking. Let it be known that I fucking hate jump scares. Derek narrows his eyes at the phone before picking it up and playing the video again. He keeps his face carefully blank as it plays.

"This just tells us what we already know," he says finally, handing my phone back. I start the video again, this time prepared for the jump. "We don't get anything new out of this."

I frown, replaying it one more time, pausing it on the shot of the Alpha glaring directly at the camera. "Other than the fact that it obviously saw this girl recording it?" I show it to Derek. "And that Jackson kid was in there, so why the hell didn't it go after them too? If it's supposed to be so smart wouldn't it want to get rid of witnesses?" He doesn't offer an answer and I slump down into my seat. "I hate everything. I should have never left… actually, no." I straighten. "Never let me say that," I tell Derek solemnly. He shakes his head in disbelief, face scrunched in contempt.

"What's so good about Beacon Hills that makes up for all this shit?" he demands.

I frown at him in confusion. "Well, I met you, didn't I?" His eyes go wide in shock. "We're bros now, dude. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried." His ears go red and he ducks his head.

"You should pick your friends better."

"Fuck off, you have blue glowy eyes; you're awesome," I snap, pointing my finger at his nose before glancing down at the time on my phone. "Finish your food. I have work in thirty minutes."

Deaton calls me a bit after two hours into my shift at the station. Because I'm a horrible employee-and also because it's slow as all hell tonight-I answer.

"Yo, doc."

"Ares, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he says. I roll my eyes.

"Nah, you're good. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you knew where Scott was," he says, and he sounds concerned. I straighten, frowning. "He never came in today, and when I called him, he didn't answer."

My head drops. "Oh, gosh, yeah, I have a pretty good idea." I run a hand over my hair. "Stiles said he went off with his girlfriend for her birthday." I sigh. "He's probably fine. He won't be when I get my hands on him, but that's something else."

Deaton lets out a breath of relief, and Pauly walks up from the back, a folder in his hands. I narrow my eyes at him as he saunters up casually, drops the folder on the counter, and arches a knowing brow before heading back to his desk.

Pauly is my favorite human. Ever.

"Well, that's good," Deaton says. "Thank you, Ares."

"Yeah, no prob, Doc." I say, glancing around nonchalantly. "You should totally fire him now."

"Good bye, Ares," Deaton says, the amusement clear in his voice.

"Hasta mañana."

I stuff my phone back in my pocket and read the post-it, Pauly's chicken scratch barely legible. Don't get me fired, kid. I grin and flip the folder open, only to frown in confusion at what it had inside. Copies of grainy pictures. Three pictures. I pull them out and freeze.

"Oh, you gotta be fuckin' kidding me," I mutter. The three pictures are from the scene yesterday, maybe the security camera across the street. One shows the alpha jumping out of the window. The second has it walking away from the red-headed girl's car. The third one, though, that's the fucked up one. The alpha stands on its back two feet, just as it had the night of Scott's first lacrosse game.

"Some bullshit," I mutter, pulling my phone back out and snapping three quick pictures. "That looks like a fuckin' skinwalker. I hate this town. I'm moving to Huntington Beach when I finish school." I start to put my phone back away as I flip the folder back shut and grab a baggy of brownies from where I stashed them under the counter, only to stop when I catch a glimpse of the time.

Scott has thirty minutes to get to school. Shit.

Pulling up his name, I press call, dropping the bag of brownies on the folder and scooting it to the side where Pauly can see from his desk. He's at the counter by the third ring, grabbing both the bag and folder and throwing a two fingered salute as he goes back to his desk.

Scott answers the third time I try calling him.

"Ares, what the hell, when did you change my ringtone?" he exclaims. I grin, feeling particularly proud of the recording I left him. "Allison just heard you threaten to castrate me, like, five times!"

"Yeah, well, maybe answer on the first call and this wouldn't happen," I advise him. "Now get the hell to school or I swear to god I'll call Derek right now and tell him to kick your ass in front of your girlfriend."

"Ares!"

"You're failing all your classes, pendejo! I don't care if you're in the middle of a blowie, pull your pants up and get the fuck to school," I hiss quietly, then smile up at a passing wide eyed deputy. "And don't even get me started on how you didn't show up to work."

"It was just this one time!"

"Deaton called me worried about you!"

"He-he did?"

"Si! Call him. Now. And get to school."

I don't give him time to answer before ending the call. God. I gonna need some seriously hard liquor by the time this is all over.

Stiletto (3 new messages)

There was a mountain lion at the conference. my dad got hit by a car
he's fine, but he got hit bY A FUCKING CAR ARES WTF
also i'm not talking to scott right now
(S)
Oh my god.
Are you okay?
(A)
I'm not the one that got hit by the car
(S)
You know what I mean.
(A)
I'm fine.
(S)
Call if you need anything, okay?

I drop my phone on my night stand and cover my face with my hands. Breathe in and out slowly until the feeling of absolute dread eases. It isn't by much; just enough to make staying awake tolerable.

I force myself up and snatch my computer from where I left it under my pillow this morning. It boots up quickly enough, and I have my video player open and playing before I can even think to do anything productive.

"We are the Crystal Gems…"

I grab my pillow and hug it, humming along with the theme. There might be a million and eight horrible things wrong in the world right now, but hey. If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs. Except in this case, it doesn't matter if we're pork chops or hotdogs, because we're all gonna die by horrible Alpha maulings anyway.

I bury my face in the pillow and try my very best not to cry. It works out about as good as you can imagine.

So there's homework I should have been doing this weekend, but I finally finished the Night School chapter and the one after that, so I figured I'd celebrate by sharing chapter 11 earlier than planned. YAY! Also, huge thank you to those who reviewed/followed last time. Those were great, and I loved each and every one. I'm super happy you all like Ares so much. You're all the best 3