Stiles sighed, poking at his gut as if checking if it was really there. He glanced over to Ana, sitting on the other stainless steel table top in the vet clinic. She was looking down at the floor, hunched over and seemingly trying to disappear. "Ana… what happened?"

She looked up, startled and winced. "You don't remember?"

He shut his eyes to the too bright light and shook his head.

She let out a shaky breath. "You had a plan and it got you killed."

The alpha's eyes flashed red and she clapped with glee when she saw her beta dragging the unconscious and bloodied boy down the hall. "Oh? You brought me a present this time! See, was that so hard?"

The girl said nothing and stopped just short of the woman. "Good pup!" The woman giggled as went to pat Ana on the head condescendingly- Ana grabbed her wrist and Stiles kicked out, throwing the woman off balance. As Stiles ducked out of the way, Ana went low, flipping the alpha over her back with a snarl. Stiles scrambled for the self-igniting molotov he'd planted minutes before in a classroom doorway and shouted to Ana to move. The girl leapt back and before the alpha got up, Stiles threw the flask of commandeered lab chemicals…

The alpha shrieked as the cocktail burst into flame. The sound made both Ana and Stiles flinch, and Stiles closed his eyes to the sudden burst of light caused by the fire.

"Stiles!" he heard Ana scream. Stiles opened his eyes in time to see the alpha leap for him, a black wolf wreathed in flames, and plunge a clawed hand into his gut and pull.

The scent of burnt flesh assaulted Derek as he and Scott burst into the school. The rest of the pack was close behind, but when the two alphas had heard the howl of an unknown wolf, they had rocketed ahead. Derek glanced to Scott and saw the younger man cover his nose to the stench.

It was Lydia who found Stiles and the girl. The rest of the pack rushed over and soon everyone talking too quickly and crowding around. Derek felt light headed for a moment, the burn marks and smell of acid radiating from the scene made him feel disconnected from what he saw before him. He watched as Lydia ripped Jackson's shirt and went to move Stiles away from where he was leaning against the girl (the other wolf, Derek finally grasped) who growled low. Scott snarled in response, and a low whine escaped the girl and she let go of Stiles' arm.

Derek snapped back to reality when Allison choked out "he's dying!" Derek stepped forward and went to his knees beside Scott. "I'll do it," Derek said, his voice cutting through the cacophony.

Scott shook his head and Derek saw the tears streaming from red eyes. "No. I'll do it. You two have enough issues." Derek nodded in understanding and stood up. He turned to the rest of the terrified faces and barked out orders. When some of them hesitated, he wolfed out and snapped, and the pack ran into action. Derek then turned his attention to the girl, the wolf he'd been unable to track, who was covered in Stiles' blood.

She was battered, and he realized that her wounds weren't healing. She was looking up at him warily, her breath coming in labored gasps. She didn't move to run or even stop the bleeding from a deep gash along her ribs. Her breathing was slowing, becoming more labored and he saw her eyes start to cloud over...

Liam and Issac came rushing back, saying they'd brought Stiles' jeep around as close as they could. "Good. Take her and put her in the back," he said. They nodded and scooped up Ana's unconscious form carefully. Scott stood up and wiped his best friend's blood from his mouth.

"Can you? I- I don't think I can-" Scott asked. Derek nodded and after carefully picking up Stiles, followed Scott out of the dark school.

Ana's eyes flew open and she bolted upright as Deaton shut the door behind him. The sudden movement shifted one of her still broken ribs and reopened the wound along her side and she cried out.

"Relax, Ms. Kaizer. You're safe. My name is Dr. Deaton and you're at the vet clinic. You've suffered some severe trauma, please hold still."

"S-Stiles?" she gritted out.

"He's also safe. I need you to remain calm and hold still so I can treat your injuries-"

"Not yet," Derek interrupted from the corner. Deaton frowned. Ana froze, her body stiff.

"Derek, I was under the impression that I could treat-"

"Not. Yet."

Deaton leveled his gaze as Derek moved toward the table where Ana sat. Deaton glanced at the shivering girl and said he would be back with some salves and gauze.

Derek positioned himself in front of Ana, his face a nearly expressionless mask. She was looking at the floor, her hands gripping the edge of the table. He could tell he didn't have long before she would pass out again. Even after losing consciousness for half an hour he wounds weren't healing.

"Those are alpha inflicted wounds," he said after a long moment. Ana tensed, but nodded. "You've been hiding in our territory without our knowledge or permission." Another nod, her head hanging low as she continued to look down. "An alpha, your alpha, followed you here. You put this town, our pack, particularly Stiles in danger. You attempted to kill him for your alpha." Derek watched Ana carefully, smelling the fear and anger rolling off her. He let his voice drop low, "why didn't you finish the kill? Why didn't you cement the bond with your alpha?"

Ana met Derek's eyes and snarled, her eyes burning gold. "Just because a monster bit me doesn't mean I have to become one too. She took everything from me! She caused my parents' death and murdered my brother when I refused to kill for her! She is not my alpha. I refuse to be her pack so she can ruin more lives," she was shouting, and she didn't care. "I know what she wants and why she wants it. The more in a pack the more powerful the alpha. I know that I can't ward her off forever and I know she can fuck with my mind. She killed Josh because he kept me human. I had to get away from her-" her voice cracked and she felt the tears sting in her eyes. Ana felt her body shuddering, felt it trying to heal but burning from the wounds inflicted by the thing that would always find her. She was barely aware of Derek watching her like he was looking for something.

"I'm sorry," Ana said. "I'm sorry. I tried to stay out of the way, honestly. I tried to push Stiles away. He figured me out and I tried to keep him away… told him to go back to his friends but…"

"He's stubborn." Ana jumped at Derek's quiet voice. "Your wounds aren't healing because you took more pain from Stiles than a beta should even try."

"He's… he's going to be ok, right?" Ana asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"He'll live. I don't know if he'll be ok. Scott's bite took and he's healing." Derek took a step forward, closing the distance between the two of them. Ana didn't move. The world was going dark again and she was too exhausted to fight off unconsciousness. She didn't register Derek thanking her for keeping Stiles alive. Derek placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and Ana went limp as he drained away her pain.