VII

FRIEND, LOVER AND MURDERER

Something knocked the air out of his lungs, Scott is lying there naked, covered by dirt and fallen leaves, Stiles´ heart shrinks in his chest until it hurts, it is all real is the first thought that comes to his mind, he knows what he saw in the deep web, the things he read about the werewolves, some herbs, but… this can´t be happening, he came here just to face Derek and let out some of his rage, not to almost get killed by his best friend, tears climb to his eyes, Scott is a murderer, is the bad guy, nothing makes sense anymore except the fact that the supernatural shit is real, too real to want to do anything with it. His fingers shake, he doesn´t know what exactly to do, he´s sure the time stopped since the thing-Scott threw up the aconitum and shape-shifted from the creature in Stiles nightmares to the person he trusted more in the world.

"Monkey wait" He hears a plain soft voice say at his back and then is when Stiles realizes he´s running, escaping from the monster, from Isaac and Derek, from reality, yet his mind reminds with the crumpled body in the ground though his eyes bore now on Derek and Isaac´s astonished glances, but he can´t handle it, not anymore, he needs to get away from them, and he´s not afraid of the darkness anymore, not when the most scary thing about it lays unconscious in the forest probably awaiting to be executed. His heart aches harder with every stride he takes away from Scott but what makes it harder it's the fact that he´s not sure if he cares anymore what they´re gonna do with his best friend.

….

The memory hits her hard and she almost feels sick, the cameras she saw in her dad´s trunk the week after they came back, those are the cameras he´s been using the spy the whole city, well not exactly the whole city but most part of it, she has been checking the screens fastened to the walls, their home is in there, but there isn´t one outside the apartment, good her dad is too arrogant to think that someone could find out his little secret, there are others in the forest but she can´t see the image well, they are in night vision or something, isn´t until she looks at the lot in her left that she realizes that they are in infrared mode, there are some red light forms that look like birds in one screen take that make her wonder, and then an idea flashes her mind.

Allison addresses the computer in the center of the room and digs between the files, there are some codes in the desk´s folders, she finds the records below those, the folder has hundreds of more inside, every with a code, Allison doesn´t need to be genius to understand that they are the screens code so she rummage the codes for the ones in the woods and look around them, they are more than twenty, it means her dad had not enough cameras to cover all the zone, well her training spot isn't in any of screens which is good, or else he might suspect she knows something about the things he has been hiding from her, nonetheless there is a camera near the school´s playfield, a little deeper in the woods than her shooting glade and it takes her just a second to recognize it, it is the place where they went to Isaac´s rave.

Allison heart jumps in her chest, and rummages in the folders until she finds the exact camera for that point in the woods, what if? The red eyes come to her mind, and then Carlson, could it be that it killed him? Allison scratches her chin trying to think about the rave´s date, and then she recalls it was the day she met Stiles and all this began, mid-October, gosh! It is just a month and a couple of weeks, this is insane, she feels like she´s been in this her whole life, fighting for discovering what the hell her dad has been hiding from her, and every time she thinks she finally reached the end of it, things just get weirder and scarier, she´s not even sure what her dad is anymore, is he a spy? A terrorist? A creep? Then she thinks about the weapons at her back, some look like military weaponry and others as if they were snatched out from a fairy tale, to not mention the freaking book.

Allison types the date in the search bar and the video pops in front of her, she clicks it and it automatically opens in front of her, at the beginning she feels like she´s watching paranormal activity or something, it is a recording from a tree´s branch, below she see dirt, some withered leaves and twigs and the familiar clearing where everything started, she advances a little the video, and see people moving quickly taking objects with them into the party spot, Jackson is among them, carrying some boxes and microphones, she goes faster and see how the light starts fading from the take until the camera went into infrared vision and bit a bit human-shaped bulbs start coming in, all of them with layers of yellow, some green and red all around, those must be the guests, the throng starts enlarging along the video, the angle of the camera isn´t good but she counted at least fifty people, but where is she? Is she already there? Allison isn´t sure, she goes a little further and stops the video when something caught her attention, there is a body, someone, inside the party… the body doesn´t have the usual yellow and purple in its body, it is all red as if the heat… who can…it´s not the only one there are three more of them, the first she saw is in a corner and the other three crowded at the far end of the camera sight, what is that? Those people… who are they? And how they can be all red? Of course it is a little hard for Allison to look at them with all yellow bodies around but she´s not wrong, they are scattered among them, but this is insane.

Something is not right in here, the full light shape of the flickering torches suddenly fades, all the bodies start fleeing in all directions, the police must be on their way by now, she spots a body falling at the ground and another approaching to help, and she recalls… those are Stiles and her, a shiver runs down her spine, they stand and get deep into the woods, far until they came out of the camera vision, fuck she thought…. Maybe the other cameras… She is about to close the video when she see it, they are back, she knows is them because they are running for their lives this is when they´re escaping from the creature, but she doesn´t see it anywhere, she´s pretty sure she saw it just above them that night but isn´t until a minute later that it appears, Allison covers her mouth with her hand, it is….a monster…. It is so big, with a large muzzle and broad body, but there are two things about it, two features that make the blood run cold in her veins, the first is the fact that it is running on its hind legs…like…like a person, and the scariest of all it´s that the body is all red, like… like the ones in the party.

….

He´s not sure how long he has been wandering, by the time he stops he´s damp with sweat, he´s not surprised where his feet took him, he´s is in the cliff from where he fell, well from Doctor D. pushed him, he´s not crazy anymore remember? The werewolves are real, his best friend is one of them, he takes a long breath, the cold air reassures his lungs, he feels a like something cold a wet in his crown and looks up, tiny snowflakes slightly drop from the sky, it is winter already, in the horizon is a thin coppery line against the gauzy greyish sky, the sun will be up soon, school… damn, does school matters anymore? He looks down, countless feet below the uneven rock wall is the lakes´ stark surface, gloomy and steely like molten silver, Stiles sighs pressing his eyes shut, and feels it.

"You have been lurking all this time, don´t you?" He says apathetically, his eyes still in the orange now pink sunrise, he knows it.

"I just got here" Replies Derek´s harsh voice.

"I mean since it all started"

"I don´t lurk" Derek says and there is a hum in his breathing as if he´s about to growl.

"Don´t you? Then what do you call to stalk me from the shadows?"

"Save your miserable human ass" Derek spits and Stiles cranes his neck to look at him

Derek is standing in just feet behind him, next to a bush, wearing his usual leather jacket with some drips of blood on it, his white t-shirt is torn in a thick gap the size of one of Scott´s claws, there is more blood on his cheeks, long trickle crimson streaks running down his jaw line covering part of his stubble, his eyes still blazing blue, shining as if they have their own light, and still as cold as the snowflakes tall slowly dance in the wind. The way he said human with such despise, made Stiles get Goosebumps, it is a reminder of how different they are, of how real the situation is, the way Derek see them as if they are remarkably inferior to him, makes him sick and angry at the same time because he´s right he´s powerless against him, or any of them.

"I had to be certain you didn't find out the truth" Derek explains step near him.

Stiles looks back at the lake, what would his dad think if they find him unconscious down there again?

"Certain as to choke me to dead, or send someone to beat the crap out of me" Stiles snorts.

"If we wanted you dead, you would be right now, believe me" Derek smirks, and the tip of his fangs jut above his jaw.

"What about the others? Why did you wanted them dead? They said something about your haircut?" Stiles chuckles, as a brow pops up in Derek´s forehead.

"I told you to not play the witty ass with me" Derek warns him.

"You´re gonna kill me anyway" Stiles says listless, he´s a little drowsy and the air just gets colder, he can´t believe what he just said, it sounded harder in his mine, but the words came out easily from his mouth, almost as if he were waiting to say them "Can I see my dad one last time?" Ok forget about being cool about it, thinking about his dad just broke his heart.

"Why do you think I´m gonna kill you?" Derek frowns annoyed.

"Because I know your secret"

"Just keep your mouth shut and no one is gonna hurt you" Derek mumbles.

"You… were the wolf I saw the night I fell from the cliff" Stiles realizes gaping, recalling the round sapphire-like eyes of the giant creature, its fur as white as snow.

Derek nods and Stiles whistles astonished.

"But why Scott didn´t change as you? He was more like something that escaped from Frankenstein´s lab"

Angst and rage take over him just to think about Scott, is he alive? How can Stiles still care?

"Um… there… are different kinds of werewolves… well not kinds it´s more like layers or phases" Derek explains.

He motions him to follow him, Stiles hesitates a second, before following, if he´s not going to kill where is taking him?

"Layers? Like ogres?" He asks frowning and Derek throws a hateful glance at him.

What´s wrong with him? This guy can kill him anytime.

They walk in silence for a while, Stiles is still too dazed and confused to continue asking his questions, he´s not even sure why Derek is answering them if he´s not going to kill as a good villain, there is something that don't feels right about their hike, there are more and more white spots all over them, especially in the gnarled branches of the trees, making them look like illuminated by Christmas lights, the winter is taking over the forest bit a bit, and it is beautiful, Stiles could smile if he wasn´t scared and freezing to the bone, after fifteen minutes or so the cabin starts showing up in the distant and he thinks once more about Scott, his heart pounds his chest so hard, is he dead? Is Derek taking him there to make him get rid of the body? Is he going to bit him now? He can´t help it his heart is going to choke him, there is a lump in his throat his heart slamming harder his ribcage with every step.

"Could you just stop? You´re making me nervous" Derek breaks the silence suddenly making Stiles jump on his feet.

"What? I didn´t do anything" Stiles replies sharply.

"Not you, your heartbeat it is insane" Derek complains.

Stiles flushes, fuck the supersonic ear.

"I told you I´m not going to kill you"

"What about Scott? Is he dead?" Stiles asks startled by his own words, how he can still care about him?

Derek shakes his head.

"If he lives or not is up to you" Says sternly.

Stiles arches his brow.

"But how it´s…"

"We need your help" Derek cuts him off, a note of resentment in his voice as they descend the steep path, the werewolf shifting over effortlessly and with such grace, reminding Stiles how different and powerful he is, and making him wonder what can such creatures possibly want from him.

….

When Allison checks her phone her heart jumps in her chest, it´s early morning, fuck she haven´t sleep at all, and she has school in a couple of hours, to not mention the fact that her dad might wake up anytime, she´s tempted to stay a little longer and keep watching the videos, to find whatever that creature is, she can check up Carlson´s dead tape but it might be a little disturbing, yeah as if watching herself running for her life with Stiles wasn´t disturbing enough, does her dad knows about the creature, well he must know right? That´s the reason of all displays, but… the first attack was a couple of weeks after they came back, and the first one was the same day he installed the cameras, it is almost as if he was expecting it… this not make any sense, how her dad… what if he´s the one behind all the murders, it can´t be, but it makes sense, it´s the only explanation, well she still has to dig deeper in the book, it is definitely related with whatever is going on in the town, it is so surreal, it was a person? A monster? A demon? Whatever it is, is scary, she can´t actually believe they were in the same place that it and survived.

Now that she thinks about it, the odd prickle-spark that thing she feels when she´s with Stiles that is really weird, what if it is somehow related, or what she did to the rock in the wood, Stiles´ suicidal attempt, is it related too? What the hell was he doing in the woods that night anyway? Wait a second… her dad was drunk at Scott´s that night, so it means it couldn´t be in the woods, thank god he´s not behind the deaths, but he knows something, why he hadn´t talk the police about it? Come on Allison think about going to the commissary and tell them hey I just saw a monster, that I think might be a person, it is the thing that killed those guys by the way they will think she´s insane like…. Like Stiles…. He saw something, what if her friend has been telling the truth, he said that a monster killed Derek, the guy from the cabin, but doesn´t make sense she saw Derek in the hospital right before Stiles´ breakdown, but someone died after all Carlson maybe he just misunderstood everything, he thought he saw Derek die but it was Carlson, poor Stiles nightmares must haunt him every night and the fact that no one believed him… She didn´t even thought all the weird things that happen between them, or… He was acting weird…after he went to talk to Isaac when they found the shirt in the forest… what if Isaac… but Scott told her Isaac said he never talked with Stiles at all like ever. This no make sense.

Allison shuts her eyes and try to recall when was the first time she saw the honey skinned boy, pale blue eyes, straw hair, thing rosy lips, in the cafeteria? Probably, or was it in class? She just have a couple with him, is Stiles in those too? She can´t remember they must have talked at least once, to at least exchange notes or something, Isaac must be lying, she´s sure of it, considering Stiles weird attitude after going with him. Never mind she´s out of time, playing the detective would have to wait until later, she must come back home and pretend that everything is fine, well actually pretty good, her dad isn´t a killer after all, but he is something like one of the Men in black, or a government´s secret agency, she must find out what, the book will definitely help with that, for now she will just let everything as she found it before she come in, except for their home´s camera, her dad must know by now that she has being going out in the afternoons, musts suspects something, so… She looks in the records for a video of a normal day in their house making sure her car never leaves, gosh it is actually pretty hard, she´s reckless… that´s a sure thing, she manages to show the video in the corresponding display and presets a loop play hiding the task from his view, wow who would think school could be useful after all? Allison smirks, turns off the lights and comes out of her dad secret apartment, making sure to leave everything the way she found it.

…..

When they are steps away from the Cabin Stiles hears a high pitched moan, and something cold hits him inside, he recognizes that voice, it is Scott, before he thinks about it he´s already running inside, leaving behind the fear and the anger, an urgency to find his friend takes over him, he doesn´t even takes a look to the wooden cottage he´s too dazed to even knock, so instead he kicks the door open. They are in a living room, all made of timber, it smells like fresh wood and polish, a lamp illuminates the room, Scott is back to the farther wall, looking around startled, and frightened as a little boy, Isaac stares at him with boredom while Erica and Vernon, both glare at him their… fangs… -Stiles still can´t get used to it-, shinning in their open mouths long a sharp in their ends, their clothes are all covered by blood, as their heads and Erica´s blond hair, it takes Stiles a big effort to not throw up right there.

"Scott" Stiles mutters, he´s startled to notice the anguish in his own tone.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Erica blurts out pointing at Stiles.

"Take it easy" Isaac says stepping between Stiles and Erica.

"He came with me" Derek says at Stiles´ back, but he´s not paying attention his eyes are fixed in Scott´s dirty and frightened face.

"St..Stiles?" He mumbles puzzled.

Stiles steps near him, unable to detach his eyes from his friend´s amber ones, wondering if they´re going to change anytime in two red bulbs and he is going to rip out his head, but Stiles doesn´t think it might happen considering how scared and helpless Scott looks right now, gaping he take a few steps putting his hands high so Scott may see where they are, when he´s just a few steps away Scott´s shaky voice breaks the silence.

"What´s… Stiles what´s going on" He lets out in a short gasp.

Stiles balls his hands and before he knows what is he doing, his knuckles hit Scott´s cheek, damn his face is like make of rock yet his friend let´s out another moan and falls back watching at Stiles startled.

"Stiles what are you…" He cries but Stiles is already over him, slamming his fist hard against Scott face again an again, skimming raw his own skin with every blow that is accompanied by a painful throbbing in his knuckles as if he tried to bring down a brick wall, crimson drops, a coppery smell and a tears.

Stiles falls to his knees, why is he even crying?

"What the hell he think he´s doing?" He hears Erica say behind.

Fuck now the big bad wolves are going to see him mourn like a baby, he pulls his hands up one more time, Scott stumbles back looking at him as if he were insane, and maybe he is, because the bruises he just left in Scott face are clearing, changing from swollen red to his friend´s usual olive skin tone, this is crazy. Stiles stands up the anger, the fear, the frustration is all what´s left in his chest.

"That boy got guts" Vernon snorts.

"Stiles…" Scott starts again stunned.

Stiles balls his aching hands once more.

"Enough" Derek grunts, he´s now next to Stiles, but how? It is like he just appeared next to him in a blink, how fast can he…

"Leave me alone" Stiles replies angrily but Derek grabs him by the arm and with a simple pull, makes him stand as if he were a puppet.

"He doesn´t remember anything" Derek says dryly

He doesn´t what? What the hell does he means?

"He doesn´t know he´s… like us"

"What do you mean he doesn´t remember? Are you insane? He´s a motherfucker monster and he doesn´t even know it?" Stiles´ anger tops higher in his chest but now there is something else…relief, a part of him is happy Scott didn´t kill those guys in purpose but that doesn´t mean it is ok for wander around the town murdering people, for god´s sake he killed the guy from the bee´s did he killed him just because it was the other team´s captain?

"Something happens to him I´m not sure why, but he can´t remember" Derek explains.

Stiles isn´t sure why but all this is a little familiar to him like if he just had a déjà vu

"You were going to kill him, Stiles recalls" He´s too dazed, he looks back there is a leather couch, what is it a simple couch or a Wolf´s bed? He´s too tired to even make a joke about it.

"Give me that" Isaac says softly pointing at Stiles hands.

He stares at his hands startled, he´s not carrying anything besides blood and swollen painful bruises, He glances back at Derek while he feel a soft and surprisingly warm almost hot touch in his left hand.

"I told you he heard us" Vernon points out looking proud of himself. Stiles stares at him, he´s kneeling before Scott pouring a gauzy liquid down his they monster-boy´s throat, he´s friend isn´t even fighting back. "Sometimes he just cooperates" The dark skinned werewolf explains with a smirk noticing Stiles eyes.

"What are you doing to him?" Stiles asks feeling a pleasant warm tickling in his left hand, looks at it and gasps, it is, fully healed there isn´t even blood, is pretty clear and it smells like mint and honeysuckle, puzzled he looks at his other hand and jerks it back shocked.

"Relax" Isaac says with a devilish smirk taking Stiles right hand back, and slowly touching his wounds with his tongue, sliding it over the knuckles staring at Stiles as if he is enjoining it, the warm spreads and the hand slowly deflates before his eyes, until it reaches its usual size and color, and then something… a painful memory flashes his mind, being knocked down, covered by blood a boot on his neck, and then waking up fully cured, the fear climbs to the back of his throat becoming a lump.

"You´re crazy" He shouts standing, looking at them as if they are mental patients "That's why I woke up without a mark the next day they almost killed me" Yells pointing at Erica and Vernon that now carries Scott´s limp body, if it isn´t by the rising and falling Stiles could think Scott is dead.

"We couldn´t let anyone see you like that" Isaac explains arching a brow.

"That´s not funny! You´re all crazy, if you´re all werewolves why turn Scott and make him kill all those people" He´s disgusted, and angry, and embarrassed, can´t help imagining Isaac and Derek licking all his limp body, it gives him the creeps.

"First, we gave you herbs for you broken bones and everything else" Derek groans losing his patient.

"I licked you a little" Isaac chuckles.

Bastard.

"Second, We didn´t send him to kill anyone, your friend just gets out of control every time we try to explain him what he is" Derek continues with a stern look.

"I don´t care what you say, this wouldn't be happening if you didn´t turn him in a freakshow in the first place!"

"It´s almost school time" Isaac points out looking at his watch.

Oh shit.

"Isaac gets him dress and takes him to practice" Derek orders, and in a blink Isaac is in the next room carrying Scott´s body upstairs, they don´t lie when they say he is the fastest guy in the school, now Stiles knows why.

"I bit him" Derek admits, "I need him because of his strength, no one is stronger than him, that´s why it is so hard to deal with him"

"But…" Stiles starts.

"There is no time, Scotts need to go running with the team, and I think you need to make breakfast for your dad, or someone might suspect"

"You have been lurking after all" Stiles accuses openmouthed.

"I didn´t have a choice it isn´t like I like you around" Derek says sharply pressing his lips in a thin line, his temple´s vein throbbing, "After Scott´s afternoon practice, made out of something whatever but bring him here" was that an order?

"You can´t tell me what do to" Stiles snorts.

"Yes I can" Derek says with a scary grin, his eyes shining harder now "If you want your friend to live, you better bring his ass here and helps us with him or else, I´ll end up with all this crap, I´m running out of time anyway"

Stiles is about to reply but then Isaac shows up before him dragging Scott´s now clean and dressed body with him.

"You guys brought his clothes?" Creepy

"These are actually mine" Isaac complains, "When you get him the remember everything, I´m gonna make him pay me for all the shirts he ruined"

Derek rolls his eyes. "You´re late"

"I know, I know, I´m just going to drop him to his place before the suns is fully up, is up to you to wake him up in ten minutes monkey" Isaac shots a smirk and in a second they´re gone… truly gone, the door slammed open and the leaves flying up as only trace.

"You better go if you want to get at time for School" Derek says with deep voice showing Stiles the door.

"Who are you my mom?" Stiles shots back, he doesn´t care that Derek can snap his neck with just two fingers it´s have been just hours since he found out the truth and he´s already sick of it, he can´t boss him around, he´s not one of his dogs.

Derek throws a glare to him that make him shiver, the boy steps out, he still can´t believe everything that happened in just matter of hours, he almost died… again… -it is actually starting to become an habit-, he discovered that werewolves are real, that his best friend is one of them, and that the whole police department –which includes his own mom by the way- were looking for him for weeks and they thought they got him, but it was just a poor dog…. That dog… meh! Probably Derek found it to win time for Scott, and of course now Stiles is somehow their last resource to help Scott control his killing instincts, pretty much shit to just be Friday morning.

"Hey" Derek calls at his back, when he is already steps away from the house.

Stiles turns at him frowning, Derek is in the door staring at him with is usual despiteful glance.

"Stay away from that girl" Commands in a soft whisper and closes the door in Stiles´ face.

What the…

….

Why Allison had to spend the whole night playing the detective? Seriously she´s so tired, oh god! She misses her bed so much, and Mrs. Greenberg´s class is so boring, luckily she doesn´t pay much attention to them, and Allison is so… so tired.

"Allison"

Is so pleasant to be in the sunlight, staring at the waves in the beach.

"Allison"

Her dad is calling for her but she can´t spot him near the shore, where is he?

"Allison!" Lydia whispers highly and Allison jerks back let out a cry.

"Lydia!" She says startled, is a little dazed, the world sways before her, she is in a bright room, surrounded by curious glances and snickers, damn it must be School.

"What you think you´re doing?" Her friend reproaches.

"Sorry I just…." Allison replies groggy.

"Forget it Harris is almost…"

"Sit down everybody" The odious chemistry teacher´s voice says from the door, oh crap she almost forgets she got chemistry today.

"Thanks" She mutters for her friend.

Lydia winks at her.

Find out her dad has been lying to her like forever, or that he is involved with god knows what crazy shit, or discovering that there are monsters in the wood seems like something really hard, well forget about it, what is really damn hard is survive Harris´ class and his usual mood while she´s about fall unconscious in her seat by exhaustion, god! Her eyes doesn´t pay attention anymore to the class, she´s more interested in the clock fastened to the white wall right above the board while she fights back her drowsiness blinking richly to stay awake, it must count like some way of torture, it means who puts a clock in there anyway? Is like a reminding that they´re trapped in there for forty more minutes, forty? Oh shit she feels like she has been here inside for days and still she must stand forty more minutes, torture… that´s what it is.

When the bell rings Allison stands quicker than everybody else, every second count, every precious second, she yearns for her bed and she´s tempted to go home where her warm and puffy quilt awaits and the feather´s pillow, like made of clouds… Allison shakes her head, no, she can´t go back, her dad has cameras everywhere he will find out to not mention the scary fact that there must be video anywhere of Scott and her fooling around somewhere, but even if she´s right her dad hadn´t say anything, so it must count like a blessing right?

Cafeteria sweet cafeteria, rows and rows of plastic tables, Allison runs their usual table and sits, she just need to slowly rest her head a little, close her eyes for a couple of minutes, she feels the table´s surface against her temple, and then she drifts away into nothingness.

Someone his kindly caressing his back, oh god! She´s so tired! Please!

"Scott?" She says opening her eyes, her boyfriend stares at him with a bright grin.

"What happened to you?" He asks holding back a sneer.

"Uh? Umm I´m sorry… I just… had a long night" She explains struggling to not fall asleep again.

"Just like this one" Says Lydia´s voice in front of her, Allison looks at her she´s pointing at Stiles next to her, resting so peacefully like she just was seconds ago, oh god she´s so jealous of him right now, Allison is tempted to kick Stile´s butt just make him wake up, if she can´t then he either but something calls her attention. Lydia is… accompanied by a guy, who is he anyway? Has short blonde hair, tiny pig´s eyes and a broad neck, he´s scary, she´s pretty sure he heard someone calling his name once or twice during the game but she can´t recall it right now.

"Stiles wake up" Lydia yells and their friend suddenly jolts letting out a long gasp, he is about to fall back but Scott is quicker… really fast actually and hold him by the shirt.

Stiles´ eyes are red and swollen, he grimaces when the lights hits his eyes, they are a little red, didn´t he sleep well? Or was it something else?

"How´s that you don´t look tired? That´s not fair!" He suddenly shouts, taking Scott by the wrist that is helping him stand, Stiles looks… furious?

"And he´s back ladies a gentlemen" Lydia chuckles beckoning at Stiles to sit.

"Sorry… I just…." He mutters.

"What a way to came back from madland" Lydia says with a low chuckle, "Everybody is staring at you"

"Lydia don´t be a bitch" Allison chastises her.

"Sorry can´t help it" Her friend says lowering her sneer into a short grin "I´m glad you´re back"

"Thanks" Stiles replies smiling at her.

Allison smirks and she feels a warm touch against her neck, Scott is snuggling his nose against her making her whole body to tickle and shudder at the same time, the air is so cold today, some snowflakes started to fall pretty early while she drove back home from her dad´s apartment, it was so hard to change her clothes, and now have this dummy with his puppy eyes leaning all his extremely heat body against her, is making her yearn harder for her bed, she wish she could lay next to him and take shelter in his broad arms and sleep forever, forget about all the shit she have learned the past month and dream she has a normal life with him, like a normal teenager, lately Scott and his amber eyes, and broad arms, and his perfectly chiseled warm-boiling body are the only normal thing in her life, she can´t never tell him about all the weird things in her life, he would never believe her or worse believe her and dump her and she couldn´t handle that.

….

Stiles has lots of questions, like why Derek said that stay away from that girl or how in the hell is he going to convince Scott to follow him in the woods when it is supposed that they don´t talk at all and considering the fact that Scott knows he doesn´t like Derek or any of his friends, speaking of… Isaac is now walking by the hallway accompanied by a girl his hand on her butt.

He needs some answers like why they think he can help, he doesn´t know anything about werewolves, and he still can´t get used to the idea of they being real, isn´t like anytime soon he´s going to see one of those foul talk shows with a girl complaining that her werewolf boyfriend cheated on her with a mermaid, does the mermaids….? Never mind Isaac is about to get into a classroom with the girl.

"Isaac" he calls his name, among the throng. "Isaac"

The straw haired werewolf cranes his neck toward him, there is something in his eyes, surprise?

"What?" He says… dryly? Really? What the hell is wrong with this dog-people?

"Know what? Forget it" Stiles replies sharply.

"Wait" Isaac whispers with boredom.

Stiles stops.

"We can´t be seem together, people might suspect" Mutters in an almost inaudibly tone, his eyes drifting all around as if he´s seeing enemies everywhere.

What the hell is wrong with all of them? Really

Finally the day is over, well school at least, but Stiles is still far away from getting home. By now he needs to apologize with Scott for… being right about everything… fuck he can´t tell him that or else he might get pissed and rip off his head, Stiles has being thinking about it the whole day and still is unable to find a single benefit in having a were-jock best friend, there must be a way to un-curse Scott, because it is like magic right? Or is it more like a disease? In that case the people would pay a lot to get a vaccine against a werewolf bite. Stiles shakes his head, focus Stiles. He takes sit in the bleachers, they´re desert, and Allison isn´t there waiting for Scott, didn´t they use to go out after practice to have sex or something? It doesn´t matter, better that way so Stiles doesn´t have to embarrass himself in front of her too, according to Derek they must be in the cabin after practice, -which by the way is in halftime or something like it- it is just half hour before sunset. So they partially kidnap Scott every day in noon, it doesn´t make sense, in movies the werewolves just change in the full moon, Derek looks pretty much different and definitely less scarier than Scott when he shifts, maybe Scott is from a different breed… Like…like Scott is a golden retriever and Derek a Chihuahua, well actually he´s more like the grumpy cat´s meme, Shit here he comes… Scott all soaked with sweat climbs up the steps where he´s awaiting, awkward

"Hey" His were-friend HA! Says with a low voice "Um… what are you doing here?" There is something in his eyes, luckily isn´t a killing reflex, is more like hope, and surprise and puzzlement.

Ok he can´t help it anymore, this is too stupid, he can´t stop thinking about dog´s references and all that crap, it is so surreal like living in a freaking comic book or worse in one of those twilight movies.

Stiles burst in laughs.

"Stiles!" Scott reproaches.

"I´m… I´m… sorry" He says between giggles hauling gulps of air. "I just I´m… laughing…because this is stupid…"

"Oh thanks" Scott replies sharply.

"No… no I mean… this situation you and me… we haven´t fight since… since you broke my super fantastic hero´s action figure" Stiles says with a short grin.

"I was my super fantastic hero´s action figure and you broke it" Scott shots back chuckling.

"See? We haven´t changed at all" Stiles grins and then clears his throat. "I mean… I miss you"

"I miss you too" Scott says with a sad look. "And I´m really s…"

"No Scott It was all my fault you were right, I needed help and I didn´t want to admit it, and you were the only one there for me, trying to help and I let you down" Damn I´m a pretty good liar something aches inside Stiles chest, guilt for being lying and anger for being right and being unable to say it, in other hand there is something genuine about his words, he does misses Scott, even though he´s a psycho killer werewolf, he misses him and Still can´t believe that someone with a heart as big as Scott can be able of such horrible acts, how… why? One of the things that scare scares Stiles the most right now is the fact that besides the fact knows the truth about Scott and about what he´s capable of, he feels comfortable, like when he´s at home.

"I just was worried about you" He´s friend says flushing.

"Anyway you were right about everything, actually I went to talk to Derek, you know now that the police caught the dog" Stiles starts, please let it work. "And he´s a pretty cool guy" yeah right "And Isaac and him told me about coming over tonight, grill some beefs, have some beers"

Scott grimaces, "um… I don´t know Stiles"

"What? Why not?" He protests, there is something leaping through Scott´s eyes, what is it? Hesitation? No it is... Fear.

Scott stares at him doubtful for a second and if he were considering it better.

"Look… I know this is going to sound stupid, but I´ve been having nightmares lately"

Stiles´ heart quivers in his chest, "Night…nightmares?" He says trying to play it cool, wrong.

"Yeah, it is just dreams, but since the night you…oh god I´m sorry I didn´t mean to"

"Take it easy, I got over it" Stiles affirms with a grin, the sky is turning rose, he must convince Scott quickly and take him to the forest before he starts look at him as a dog chow´s bag.

"That night, I dreamed they hurt me, Derek and Isaac and their friends, I have been having these nightmares since then, in last night´s you were there, you hit me so hard, and you hated me, wanted me death it was the scariest dream of all" Scott stops blinking his tears away but Stiles see them anyway.

Stiles feels a pang in his chest, he feels even worst now for what he´s going to do Scott but there is no other option.

"They are just dreams Scott, look at me, do it look like I want to kill you?" He says chuckling.

Scott smiles.

"We will be there like an hour or so, then we will go home"

"I don´t" Scott says frowning.

"Please I want to do the things right" Stiles beg. "I changed… I really did, and I want to make it up to you guys" Oh god this is insane.

"Um… Allison went home early, apparently studied too much last night and just want to rest, and it is Friday night… so maybe… yeah why not, what could possibly go wrong?"

If you knew.

After their little talk Scott goes to take a shower, while he waits Stiles stares how the snow slowly drifts in the playing field, melting on the grass, soon it will cover it all, Stiles can´t wait to see it, it is one of the things he missed most about his home town, making snowmen with Scott and then have snowballs wars with him and Marin, going back home eat some cake, help to decorate the tree, his lips curve in a smile with just the thought of it, this year they can make snow-wolves that would hilarious if they survive all this mess of course. After a couple of minutes Stiles see Isaac heading toward the parking lot, when he is almost gone cranes his neck and nods toward Stiles, what does that mean? At that moment Scott is climbing the steps again, Stiles stand and they both start walking out then a memory comes to his mind, something Derek said the night before right before he almost choked Scott with the aconitum.

"I think we should go from here" Stiles says pointing at the wood line behind the playing field.

"Are you sure?" Scott asks frowning, "Is farther that way"

"No… I know a shortcut" Stiles assures and guides Scott toward the forest coming throw the damp playing field in long strides.

When they are just inches away from the first trees, and the grass turns into spongy soil, werewolves exist after all, what about… he steps inside, when he looks back the school isn't back him as he expected, something wicked is definitely going on with the forest to his surprise Scott isn´t next to him anymore, oh shit. What was what Derek said? Picture the cabin, that was what he needed to do to get there, of course there is a problem, he can´t get there without Scott, will it work if he tries to find Scott?, it is kind of silly but Stiles wants to do it and he´s alone anyway so… Stiles closes his eyes, and imagine Scott´s face, it is square like, long jaw line, bright amber eyes and thin lips always curved in a grin. Stiles rises a foot and steps ahead, concentrating in his friend features… gives another step, how many? Derek didn´t told him, how does it work anyway? Is like traveling across space? Oh god it is sounds so stupid thank god he´s alone, another step and then bumps against a solid yet soft surface and jumps on his feet.

"Stiles!" Scott gasps stunned, "Where in hell where you? I have been looking for you"

Stiles opens his eyes, it worked, damn… something whirls inside him excitement, and joy, he did it.

"Stiles…" Scott starts, his friend feel his eyes, Scott is looking at him as if he were mad, and he probably is considering that he´s now in another part of the wood, facing his missing friend.

"Sorry… I just…" Stiles says between laughs and struggles to breathe, he is… sweating? But how?

"I don't know Stiles I think we better…" Stiles hears steps and then Scott falls in the ground, Stiles turns on his heels Scott is lying unconscious before Vernon, Stiles jumps on his feet and falls on his back.

"Well done" Derek´s voice says walking by him "Follow us" Orders, and Stiles feels something scorching his insides, sadness and guilt, Scott trusted him and he lied to him.

"Wait for me" Stiles says having a hard time to keep up, his legs are short as the rest of his body, as he join them a idea comes to his mind, what about another try of… He closes his eyes again and pictures the cabin, how was it? Oh crap he isn´t sure he hasn´t see it pretty well, it is made of wood after all so if he imagines long wood slats he steps ahead and his forehead hits something hard and he jolts opening his eyes Derek is glaring at him.

"Sorry" Stiles snickers.

"You shouldn´t try it too often, gonna get yourself killed" Derek says without looking at him.

"Killed why?" Stiles says shocked and fascinated, "Is it some werewolf´s magic?"

"No… it did a Binder when we got here, he casted a detuner around the wood, to protect people, when they got in they get lost, wander around with every step they get somewhere else inside the forest"

"It didn´t work, two guys died" Stiles points out. "What is a Binder a magician?"

"Not exactly and more people would have died" Derek breaths out frowning.

"And how it is going to kill me?"

"You´re not used to distort a binding that strong, it takes a lot of will, you actually always get exactly where you want to go, if you weren´t so meddler I would be even impressed"

"Wait a second" Stiles says confused. "I´m not human?" Holy crap.

Derek snorts.

"You´re human, well… I´m not actually sure, you have the stunning skill of get me pissed off in seconds" Derek grunts.

I´m sure it isn´t that hard either Stiles thinks wishing werewolves can´t read minds

"But you just said…"

They are already outside the cabin, Isaac is awaiting for them at the door smirking at Stiles, after the way he treated him in school, he´s such an ass. They drop Scott in the same corner where Stiles found him that morning, and then they all stare at him.

"What?" He says confused.

"Do something" Isaac says hasty.

"Like what?" Stiles says confused.

"The night you tried to kill yourself" Derek starts with a despiteful grin.

"I didn´t try…" Stiles starts, the blood boiling in his veins he´s sick of him and his shitty attitude

"You came into the woods after you almost died…twice… looking for a werewolf" Derek mocks.

"You´re brave kid" Vernon says with a grin.

"He´s not, he´s just so stupid, he´s going to get us all killed" A female voice says from the stairs, Erica climbs down the steps wearing long blue jeans, a leather jacket and high heeled boots, "The best we can do is kill him now, before it is too late, we´re running out of time Derek, Vernon and I saw him discussing with that Lacrosse player outside the mall and now he´s dead"

So they have been following Scott too.

"Can someone explain me what the hell is going on?" Stiles demands tired of not getting anything.

"See monkey, to make the story short, Scott shouldn´t shift every night, but for some reason he does, and then he can´t remember anything of what he have done the night before, he killed a guy with who he had a fight weeks ago so deep inside his wolf he´s still conscious, and Derek thinks you might reach his humanity, before his second full moon or Erica, Vernon and are going to rip out his head"

"Don´t" Scott warns them.

"We talked about it Derek, he´s a monster!" Erica growls.

"Kill him? Why? What happens in the second full moon'" Stiles says feeling the fear climbing to his throat.

"When a brood is born, is needed two full moons to get rid of most of its wildness, they´re more wolves than humans those days, so the better is to have them locked until its done" Vernon explains.

"Good idea" Stiles says.

"Yeah let´s kidnap for three months an officer´s son" Derek says with sarcasm.

"Hey it isn´t my fault you´re so dump you can´t pick up your victims" Stiles shots back.

"What did you say?" Derek snarls, his eyes blazing startled Stiles stares at his stretching nails.

Isaac steps between their two, and Stiles sighs with relief.

"Anyway, instead of letting behind his wild side Scott is actually getting worse, so we think we won´t change even after his second moon" Isaac explains.

"You can´t do that… he´s going to get better you´ll see" Stiles assures "Wait a second, why did you bit him in the first place?"

True, they haven´t been talking about Scott being a werewolf, he has been trying to deal with the idea the whole day, but he doesn´t even know their reason, what if their planning the apocalypse or something.

"A storm is coming" Derek says with distant eyes. "We need to be ready of everything and everyone you know will disappear"

"What does that...?"

Stiles hears a groan and then Scott snaps on his place.

"What the…"

"Grab him!" Derek orders, Isaac and void hurry to hold him

"What are you doing?" Scott cries trying to let go.

"You´re a werewolf, you hear me?" Derek says sternly.

"What?" Scott snorts, "Seriously guys what´s going on… Stiles? What is all this?

Derek approaches Scott with an outstretched clawed hand.

"What the hell?" Scott says, fighting harder get escape from Vernon and Isaac´s grip, "Let me go, what the hell is wrong with you? Stiles, what is all this?

"I´m sorry Scott" Stiles says lowering his glance.

Derek rises his paw to strike Scott, Vernon and Isaac are sweating all their muscles swollen, how strong is Scott? Derek lowers his hand, and Isaac and Vernon fly toward Derek pushed by Scott strength, Stiles looks at him, his eyes, are flashing, the color blinking, from amber to red, hair is growing fast on his face, then he stumbles and falls on the ground, screaming…. No… moaning, his already pawned hands reaching for the skin in his back as if he is trying to tear his own skin off, he whirls in the ground, the dark brown fur spreading around, his shrills of pain pitching higher and higher, oh god! Poor Scott.

"Stop it, you don´t see, he´s suffering!" Stiles yells at Derek above Scott´s screams.

"I can´t but you do" Derek replies.

"But how?" Stiles is puzzled this doesn´t make any sense.

"I saw it that night, the full moon, his eyes changed when he saw you in that glade, he recognized you! Talk to him do something!"

Stiles looks at twitching matted fur on the floor

"Scott?" Stiles says… "Hey Scott!" He yells, and then the creature stops moving and jolts upright, standing on its hind legs, shit is bigger than Stiles recalled.

"SCOTT TURN BACK IN YOUR HUMAN FORM NOW!" He shrills in a bossy voice, the sweat tickling down his temple, this isn´t good, the monster opens its muzzle and a tremendous growl comes out of him.

"Great plan genius!" Erica yells.

"Get him" Derek orders, and the werewolves surround the creature, more a snarls fill the air, they launch against Scott, and he throws then back with a blow, it´s eyes fixed on Stiles, it´s head craning his eye flickering, it is like hypnotized, until it lets out a loud moan and blood spills out of his muzzle.

"Scott" Stiles cries running toward it, while the beast shrinks, and then Stiles spots Derek pulling out his bloodied hand from Scott´s chest.

"What did you do? You killed him, he was doing better, he started to recall some things since I fell from the cliff, and you killed him you bastard, I´m gonna kill you, I´m gonna get a bundle of aconitum and…"

"Relax monkey he´s not dead" Isaac says padding him in the back, "Derek didn´t go deep, just shocked him"

Stiles sighs relieved, he though, the sight of Derek´s hand covered with Scott´s blood, makes him want to puke, it is so… disgusting and disturbing, and he looks back at Scott again he´s almost fully human again, he´s fainted on the ground the gap in his chest already searing.

This is too much, he needs to get out of here, he won´t be able to handle it, this is insane, and surprisingly he starting to move outside until he notices it´s actually Derek dragging him out from the collar of his shirt, when they are out the night has already fallen, Derek shoves him aside and closes the door behind him.

"You need to calm down, you´re his last hope, I might be the pack leader but if he don´t do something for your friend I won´t be able to stop him, you hear me?" Derek grunts.

"I´m sorry… it is just, I still can´t believe all this, this can´t be happening, how he´s going to have a life now? He can´t get married, he will lunch his family as soon as something gets him upset"

"He won´t" Derek assures.

"How do you know?" Stiles says staring at him with hope.

"After he helps me with my things I´m turning him human again" Derek says flatly his eyes shining a paler shade now.

"You can? How? Tell me! Change him now, find someone else, this isn´t working with him, see it for yourself this is a total mess"

"I can´t do that" Derek affirms stiff his face starker than usual.

"What? Why not?"

"To become human again, he must kill me first" The werewolf finish, leaving Stiles alone outside the house with more and more questions than the ones he had just minutes ago, they have a lot of work to do, if he really want to save his best friend.

….

Oh god! Allison haven´t sleep this well since… whenever, she wants to go out and check the apartment once more, but she´s not sure, she must be careful now that she knows her dad has eyes everywhere, she comes out of bed, and climbs down the stairs, her dad room is dark, haven´t he come home yet? In the dining room she finds a bag with Chinese food and a note. Have a lot of work, will get home late, sorry didn´t eat with you but don´t wanna wake you up.

Work uh? She thinks.

Allison takes a plate from the cabinet and serves her meal, carrying her dish and a glass of coke she comes back bed, turning on the TV, of course her dad isn´t working, he´s probably in the apartment, staring at the screens looking for something, she takes a spoonful of rice, it is delicious she was starving when she woke up thank god she didn´t have to cook, and that she didn´t woke up earlier, she would probably had ended in the apartment and her dad would have found her, what is she going to do? How will she know when she can and when she can´t go in there? If she had a tracker like spies… wait a second… Allison grabs her phone, maybe she´s not an spy, but she definitely has a tracking system, she flips screen until she finds the where is my phone app she clicks it open, luckily she got her dad an smartphone in his birthday last February, or else she wouldn´t be able to do this, she types his username and his password, and the map appears in front of her, her dad is… driving because is going really fast, and she was right, he´s heading toward the apartment and the displays, so it means free night for her, she has been so lucky he didn´t discovered her, needs to be more careful, she finishes her diner and then throws herself back in the bed, she´s still a little tired, Scott hasn´t write her, maybe she just go back sleep, tosses in her bed and then something hard makes pressure below her pillow, then she recalls she hid the book inside the pillow case, she was so exhausted when she got home that she probably didn´t feel it there.

She takes the book out and looks again at his cover, she opens it and sighs, supernatural creatures? For real? She flies to a random page and starts reading.

"Ne…Necro…Necromancer"