Alright, loves.

This chapter is dedicated to aliciasellers75 who reviewed. Thanks, love!

Here's chapter 9!

Sephy

The next time Matilda was at the school it was time for parent teacher conferences. Given that she wasn't a teacher, she didn't need to stay the evening, but she had volunteered to help out so while at school, she talked to Isaac and mentioned how she would be there. His eyes widened with fear.

"Y-you're going to be there tonight?"

"Well, yeah. They needed volunteers and I was hoping to see my favorite student outside of a professional school setting," she said with a smile in his direction. Isaac smiled, a light blush tinging his bruised cheeks before he sighed.

"Just…just promise that you won't say anything to my dad," he told her. Matilda looked at him innocently. For once, his scared demeanor vanished. "I'm not…stupid Mattie. I know you've figured it out." Matilda looked around a bit before she looked at Isaac. She sighed.

"I didn't necessarily figure it out. I just…had suspicions," she told him honestly. He sighed, running his hands through his curly blond hair. "But…because you asked, I promise not to mention anything to your old man about…my problems with his parenting." Isaac smiled over at Matilda thankfully before the bell rang. The boy jumped as usual and Matilda gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Get to class, sweetheart. I'll be seeing you and your old man later," she told him pointedly. He nodded his head before he was off.

"You know, you and that boy are pretty close," stated one of Matilda's co-workers.

"Diane, he's a special kid, but he needs someone to be his friend."

"It's not very professional you know." Matilda felt her eyes involuntarily roll at the woman's comment.

"Yeah, well, neither if sleeping with the boss but you don't hear me bringing it up," she stated, looking at the woman. She looked horrified. "I wonder what would happen if his wife found out," she inquired aloud before Diane left. Matilda sighed and shook her head before she went back to typing on her computer.

A few hours later, Stiles all but slid into the library, making Matilda's eyes widen.

"Stiles! What in the hell are you doing?" She asked, quieting her voice towards the end as her boss sent her a look.

"Lydia and Jackson were near the movie store that got broken in to last night. I think it had to do with the Alpha," he muttered. Matilda's eyes widened.

"How do you know?"

"Derek and Scott were on the roof last night." Matilda sighed, gently pressing her thumb and forefinger against the bridge of her nose. "Jackson came to school together, but Lydia didn't." Matilda looked up at Stiles, who was clearly worried for the "strawberry blonde."

"Tell you what, you go see Lydia after school, talk to her and see if you find out what she saw. I'm sure Scott will be talking to Jackson. I'll call him in here and talk to him about it." Stiles began to fidget about. "Stiles, where is Scott?"

"I-uh-I don't know," he said honestly. Another deep sigh escaped Matilda's lips.

"Just do what I tell you, Stiles." The boy nodded his head emphatically. "Go to class," she stated as the bell rang and he was off. "Jesus Christ this is complicated…"

During Matilda's break between work being over and the start of the set up for parent teacher conferences, she went out to the lacrosse field, which was barren for once. Apparently Finstock called off practice so that he could get ready for conferences.

"Derek," she murmured quietly as she sat on the bleachers, sure that he would hear her. Sure enough, a few moments later, he arrived. When Matilda spotted him, he was standing at the entrance of the forest, as quiet as ever.

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me what happened? At the video store?"

"Because it didn't concern you."

"Bullshit, Derek. This Alpha has attacked my sorry ass quite now. I'm in this, even if you don't want me to be. If the bite is never going to be an option, I need to be kept in the loop to fricken protect myself," she stated firmly. Derek let out a deep sigh.

"Fine. I'll keep you informed just…don't talk about that out loud. He could hear you," he muttered. Matilda looked over at Derek, getting up off of the bleachers and approaching him.

"Derek…"

"I don't want you to die, Mattie," he murmured. Matilda stepped up to him and looked up at him.

"I know, Derek. I'm…sorry about the other day. I had been…thinking about it, but I didn't actually think I would ever bring it up to you." Derek looked down at his friend and nodded before his usual emotionless face softened.

"I..I'm…I know you aren't…helpless, you just aren't equipped for this situation…" Matilda smiled up at him before she reached up, kissing his cheek.

"Apology accepted, Wolfman," she murmured. Matilda pulled her face away from Derek's the two stood there for a moment. Derek seemed to be stunned for a moment as the two looked up into each other's eyes. Matilda felt a familiar fluttering sensation in her stomach before she realized what was happening. Her heart beat sped up and she knew that Derek could hear it. 'Damn,' she thought before she turned away, blushing heavily. "Derek I—" Matilda looked up and sighed when she saw that he was gone. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the empty forest and lacrosse field before she turned and made her way back to the school so that she could get ready for parent/teacher conferences.

Parent/teacher conferences started and Matilda was around the chemistry classrooms prepared to give parents who were without their children directions to classrooms if they didn't know. Matilda had seen the Sheriff around, but he was without Stiles which meant that the kid was doing well in his classes, or at least well enough to not attend. Matilda heard her cell phone ring at that exact moment. She waved at him before she picked up her phone.

"Hello?"

"Mattie! Thanks for being the only person to answer their phone."

"Stiles, I really hope this isn't a regular thing with you."

"No, sorry, getting to the point. I…Lydia had a video of the alpha on her phone." Matilda's eyes widened.

"What?" She snapped.

"Don't worry, I deleted it but…but she saw it, Mattie."

"Son of a bitch," she murmured.

"What do I do?"

"Wait for Scott to contact you. The little shit wasn't in school today. I'll be sure to let Derek know that both she and Jackson saw the Alpha." She could see Stiles nod his head.

"Sounds good." Matilda hung up her phone and turned, smiling brightly as she spotted Isaac. She waited until he made eye contact with her before she waved at him, grinning brightly. His smile brightened before his dad turned to him. The boy's eyes darted for the ground before the dad looked up and saw the woman his son had been gazing at.

Not wanting to cause a scene, the woman approached Isaac and his father.

"Hello there, Isaac!" She chirped happily, smiling at the boy, who smiled back at her shyly before looking at his father. She turned her attention to him. "You must be Mr. Lahey. I'm Matilda McCarthy, the new librarian at Beacon Hills High."

"And how is it that you know my Isaac?"

"He's in the library a lot studying. I help him get books related to subjects and the like. He really is an intelligent young man," she explained, smiling at his father.

"Really? I was under the impression Isaac couldn't do anything right. He's practically failing his chemistry course." Matilda's fists clenched, but her smile stayed on her face.

"Yes, well, he has plenty of time to bring up his score. It's only half way through the semester after all." There was a pause. "He gives school his all, and lacrosse, which he's also quite good at." Isaac's father blinked.

"You've seen my son play lacrosse?" Matilda tilted her head to the side, looking at him like he had lost his mind.

"I've seen all the boy's play lacrosse. I mean, what kind of faculty would I be if I didn't show up to our games to support our boys?" She asked him curiously. The man eyed her before he nodded his head in response. "Anyway, I best let you men on your way. Have a nice night!" She chirped before she turned and made her way back to her spot. The moment she turned around, she relaxed her hand and her smile was gone. At that moment, as blood slipped from the cuts from her nails, Matilda knew that Isaac's father was a lucky man. Had she been a wolf, he'd have been dead.

Finally, parent teacher conferences were over and Matilda started to clean up and whatnot when she heard several shouts from outside. Her eyes widened before she made her way to the front of school. She pushed through people and eyed the chaotic parking lot. She looked around before seeing something slinking between the cars. Her hand flew to her mouth as Stiles' father and the man known as Chris Argent, who she remembered from high school were walking around the parking lot. One man had his gun out and the other was just looking for whatever it was. As Sheriff Stilinski was walking around, he was hit by a car that was backing up. Matilda's eyes widened.

"Sheriff!" He waved people off, but she pushed past them anyway, immediately helping him stand.

"Thanks, Mattie." They then heard gun shot and people screaming. Matilda helped the Sheriff to the scene where Chris Argent stood, gun held at point, before they got in to view who or what he shot. Matilda's eyes widened.

"Ho…ly…shit." In front of the large group of parents, teachers, school staff, and students was a large dead mountain lion.