"wow, turning into a werewolf really changed you. your physical appearance, i mean." aneksi commented as erica joined her on her way to their last class for the day.
"i guess it fixes you. i don't know what isaac's told you, but we were both pretty messed up. i had epilepsy, and my medication had side effects. they caused my anxiety to grow, my weight to gain and my acne. derek fixed me from all that." she shrugged, her blonde curls bouncing against her chest as they walked.
since erica turned, and she was isaac's girlfriend, she had been fed the information they had learned from the past days. scott still helped aneksi by testing her for more hidden powers, but in vain. stiles continued spending a lot of time at her place, in case something would happen while her parents were home — but also because they were friends.
isaac wasn't avoiding her anymore. in fact, he, aneksi and erica had become like a little trio in school, even if aneksi would hang out with scott and stiles too when possible. even jackson whittemore had shown her his friendly side, but she sure sensed what a jerk he really was. allison was a bit wary of her, like scott had been in the beginning, but she was kind and open. aneksi couldn't appreciate it more, and a few teachers had acknowledged that she was back.
"well, i'm glad you're feeling better. as long as you don't do anything wrong or stupid just because you can, or because your... alpha demands you too." aneksi mumbled by the end, not sure if such words would tick her off.
erica merely sent her a charming smile, stopping by her classroom since she and aneksi didn't share the same lesson at this time. the brunette returned the smile and waited, because it was evident whenever erica had something more to say.
"you should come at the game tonight, it'll be fun." the blonde said before entering the classroom.
aneksi raised her eyebrows for a split second and walked away to her own lesson. when it finished, she barely made it outdoors when stiles came running towards her, almost slipping and panting as he reached her.
"yes, stilinski?" she laughed amused, turning to look at him.
"i..." he started, making a quick face. "i have to tell you something very important." he finished his announcement, dragging her away from the crowd of people.
"what is it?" she asked with a frown, picking up his severeness with some help of her senses. and eyes.
"remember that... thing that killed isaac's dad? we think it's a creature, like scott. and scott mentioned another kill. we don't know that much just yet but i just wanted to tell you to be careful."
"well, has anyone seen it?"
"no one alive."
"comforting." she mumbled, pulling her fingers through her hair. "you'll be at the game tonight, right?"
"of course." he smiled, nodding a bit.
"okay. see you tonight." she smiled back before turning around and walking away.
as it got later, aneksi excused herself for her parents to get ready. by getting ready, she simply dressed on some warmer clothes and brushed her hair. nailah hugged her daughter, as she did every opportunity she could. who could blame her though, after the long disappearance. aneksi wasn't sure where exactly she stood in the group of people she had met recently. she knew isaac, and that he was a part of derek's pack and also erica. she barely knew anything about lydia martin, who was a banshee — which she found extremely fascinating. allison had only properly hung out with her once, but the whole hunter thing gave aneksi chills.
stiles seemed like he wanted to keep her updated, but to be quite frank, she didn't feel like being a part of it all. derek intimidated her, and so did allison in a way. and then there was a creature, apparently killing people relentlessly and ruthlessly. when she reached the school's lacrosse field, she sat down beside melissa mccall. allison's grandpa scared her too, so that was definitely a no. melissa smiled softly at her and aneksi returned it as always.
"have you seen stiles? he said he'd be here." aneksi asked quietly, looking around them.
"not yet, no. he'll probably be here soon." melissa assured her, waving it off.
the younger one doubtfully nodded until her eyes landed on erica. the blonde hadn't noticed her friend as she stood up and left, leaving aneksi confused. the game started, and everyone was full on cheering for the beacon hills team. unfortunately, she couldn't share the same amount of enthusiasm due to her feeling that something was odd and wrong.
after a while, aneksi grew anxious. she stood up herself and sneaked her way out of there, just in time to see erica dragging stiles towards the school swimming pool. trying to fight the eagerness to follow, she failed and followed discreetly, standing outside to listen.
"stiles."
"derek."
"what'd you see at the mechanic's garage?" derek asked in a kind tone still.
"uh... several alarming eta violations i am seriously considering reporting." stiles answered with his sarcasm, the one that caused aneksi to roll her eyes in annoyance. she could hear some air leaving something, and then stiles uttering a quiet "holy good."
"let's try that again." derek said, still not in a particularly menacing voice.
"alright, the thing was pretty slick looking. um, skin's dark, kind of pattern. i think i actually saw scales. is that enough?" he explained vaguely, sounding rushed. "because i have someone i really need to talk to. alright, fine, eyes. eyes are yellowish. and um, has a lot of teeth. oh, and it's got a tail too. are we good?"
aneksi pushed some hair behind her ear as she listened more carefully. she could swear that she heard little footsteps, but more of a dog's claws clicking against the floor. that's when it hit her.
"oh shit."
"what? wait, have you seen it?" stiles continued. you have this look on your faces like you know exactly what i am talking about."
after that, she heard a horrible scream of something inhuman, followed by a roar from derek she assumed. finally looking inside, she witnessed the creature knocking erica back against the wall so that she passed out. the lizard-looking thing then scratched derek's neck, causing him to barely be able to move.
stiles assisted him to limp away, while derek told him to call scott. in the process of picking up his phone, stiles dropped it on the floor, automatically letting go of derek at the same time.
"stiles, you son of a–" was the sentence she heard derek say before he landed in the water.
aneksi swallowed as she finally gained the courage to step inside, just when stiles dived in after derek to help him. she fixed her eyes on the phone but froze when she heard the spine-shivering hissing that left the creature's mouth.
the two males reached surface, but stiles was the one to carry them since derek was paralyzed from his neck and down. she tried to breathe as quietly and as little as possible while her eyes searched for the creature.
"stiles, you idiot." she muttered, loud enough for them to hear and acknowledge her.
"what the hell are you doing here?" stiles whisper-yelled while trying to hold them up.
"good job showing your gratitude. i'm here to save your dumb ass." she squinted with her eyes and glanced upwards.
aneksi couldn't see it anywhere. the thought of it lurking around scared her to death, yet she took quiet steps towards the phone. she didn't have scott's number, or anyone else's that she could think of being good help.
just when she was within reach, the creature landed in front of her, making her jump back and swallow hard. it just stared at her at first, moving its head like a snake.
"she better discover her remaining powers soon." derek mumbled quietly, forgetting that she could hear it.
aneksi didn't make a move at all. she stood there, frozen in fear that the slightest movement would trigger it to attack her. it didn't, but it kept hissing that awful sound.
"not. helping." she whispered angrily with clenched teeth. the mere appearance of the thing was enough to make her feel a knot in her stomach. she didn't need to see it angry.
"get me out of here before i drown." derek continued talking, despite the situation.
"you worried about drowning? did you notice the thing out there with multiple rows of feet. because it's right there!" stiles retorted lowly.
"shut up." she mumbled, casting them the briefest glare.
"did you notice i'm paralyzed, in 8 feet of water from the neck down?"
"i'm going to kill both of you if you don't shut your mouths." she threatened, watching with big eyes.
"what's it waiting for, anyway?" stiles asked, the confusion clear in his voice. she frowned, seeing no point in waiting either.
as the words left his mouth, the green creature moved closer to the water. it dipped its hand in it, but to everyones surprise, jumped back as if it had just been burned. aneksi didn't think twice. she made a run for the phone, ignoring stiles yelling for her not to, and groaned when a tail was wrapped around her ankle, pulling her back down. the phone slipped out of her hand and the creature was suddenly on top of her, making an attempt to scratch her.
she however, grabbed its wrists if you can call it that and kicked it off of her. there was barely any time to stand up, for the thing was attacking again with its tail, so she rolled to the side to avoid it. aneksi managed to stand up, now with her teeth exposed and claws out. she stared at it, waiting for it to make a move. yet again, it didn't, which gave her some time to breathe.
taking a few steps back — away from the phone — she watched as it did the same, until it continued its lurking around the pool edges. she couldn't be more confused. it was scared of water, or it couldn't swim, it was strong and that she felt. but it was strange.
"guys, i don't know what to do. i can't leave you, but you can't hold derek up for too long."
"i'll hold him. try to think of a way." stiles exhaled, looking at her with some kind of hope, and confidence that she'll save them.
"i can't! i'm new to this, i have no idea what that thing is and i can't– i can't use my powers yet."
"you don't need to use them. you're strong and fast, and that's enough. stall it until either i'm no longer paralyzed, or until erica wakes up." derek said, surprising them both. "you're a vampire, you can outrun it."
as her bottom lip began to quiver, she quickly put it between her teeth and fixed her eyes on the moving thing. the phone wasn't an option anymore, so she just stood there for the most dreadful and longest time. to just stand there would bore her to death, and make her tired, so she decided to try something.
"hey, lizard!" she called, causing both boys to widen their eyes. the creature merely glanced at her. "you, killer." now it looked at her with its yellow eyes. "hi."
"please tell me she didn't just say hi to it." derek sighed.
"mind to carry on a conversation? watching you is getting pretty boring." she smiled whilst it tilted its head sideways and took a step closer to her. "why are you doing this and who are you?"
"maybe this is a smart idea, to keep it occupied." stiles shrugged, earning a glare from derek.
"or it's gonna' get her killed."
"you're something strange." she mumbled, frowning slightly. "i recognize you, i think deep down i know what you are. i've read about you once, before i was kidnapped. i have a feeling you're deeply alone. i know i've read about you."
aneksi talked, looking into its eyes in a non-menacing way. it stood still for quite a while, and it hit her that they had been there for an hour now, if not more. backing away, she swallowed and glanced at the boys.
"i'm really glad about your love for the supernatural, but it would be even better if you remembered what it is." stiles commented, having to struggle a lot more now.
the creature shot its eyes to stiles and then back at her, right before attacking by hitting her on the stomach with its tail. aneksi flew against the wall, groaning in such pain, and coughed.
"shit, that hurt a lot." she whimpered and held a hand against her stomach. as it sped towards her, she quickly stood up and ran to the other side of the pool in just a second. the quick motion obviously confused the thing, but unfortunately didn't slow it down.
"look out!" stiles called as it jumped to the roof, and then straight back against her.
aneksi gave it a firm punch on the face, making it roll down beside her. she didn't know how to use her claws or anything else yet, so she took advantage of her hands. she fought it for a long while, mostly ending up against the wall over and over again. the important part was to not let it scratch her, or hurt her with its tail. when she was pinned against the floor, both wrists being in the grasp of the creature, stiles looked over at his phone and pursed his lips together.
"stiles, no." derek objected his thoughts quickly. "i'll drown!"
"trust me this once."
"no. you need me to survive, because when this paralysis wears off, who's gonna' fight that thing, you or me?"
stiles couldn't wait any longer, not when looking at aneksi being held against the floor and fighting to keep its claws away from her skin. he dropped derek and dashed for the phone, managing to call scott.
"scott!" he yelled, but removed the phone from his ear a second later. stiles dived down to retrieve derek from the bottom of the pool, before making it for the edge. he tried to grab it, but his hand slipped, which she saw.
"stiles!" aneksi let out a growl, her first real one, and knocked her head against the creatures' so it flew away.
she ran to the side they were on and pulled them both up, landing on her knees from exhaustment. when she looked up, scott was there, growling at the creature. she couldn't suppress the small smile on her face, but it vanished the second she was thrown against one of those goddamn walls again.
scott did his best to fight it off, but was knocked too and ruined a mirror. in panic, aneksi reached for a broken piece and slipped it to scott, who raised it in the air. the creature slowed down and stared at its reflection for a while. tilting its head sideways, it startled her completely by hissing awfully and jumping off, escaping through the roof.
her breathing got harder for each breath, and after the thing disappeared, she spared a few seconds to drop her forehead against her arm and process what just happened. derek moved to make sure that erica was okay while stiles did the same to aneksi.
"hey, are you alright?" he asked concerned and lightly shook her shoulder. "you did great, stone."
"thanks." she mumbled, slowly sitting up with her palm against half her face. "don't drop your phone next time."
stiles let out a little laugh and helped her up on her feet. scott eyed her with a smile, giving her a simple nod as if to show his pride for her. she just nodded back tiredly, dragging her hand down to her stomach.
"you two need to come with me." scott said, emerging to the parking lot instead. the other two gave each other a look before following anyway, her body still aching from the fight.
scott explained how allison came up with the idea that the bestiary might be in digital form, instead of paper as they had apparently searched for. he opened the flash drive, but the language was incomprehensible for the boys.
"is that even a language?" stiles complained, sighing.
"it looks familiar. i think i've known this before, but i can't– i can't remember anything about it." she said quietly, knitting her eyebrows together.
"how are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?" scott asked no one in particular.
"it's called a kanima." derek suddenly appeared with erica by his side. the two boys looked up, an annoyed expression on stiles's face.
"you knew the whole time."
"no. only when it was confused by its own reflection." derek objected, looking at them.
"it doesn't know what it is." scott stated, looking confused as well.
"or who." derek added. aneksi looked at stiles and noticed how he seemed momentarily done with practically everything, so she placed a hand against his arm.
"what else do you know?" she asked, stealing stiles's words.
"just stories. rumours." derek shrugged sloppily, which wasn't much help.
"what, it's like us?" scott asked on.
"a shape-shifter yes, but... it's not right. it's like a..."
"an abomination." stiles suggested, receiving a head nod in response. derek and erica looked at each before turning around to leave, but scott spoke up.
"derek. we need to work together on this, maybe even tell the argents."
"you trust them?" derek scoffed rather angrily, as if he had proved to scott at some point that they weren't trustworthy.
"nobody trusts anyone! that's the problem. while we're here, arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger and faster than any of us, and it's killing people! and we still don't know anything about it!" scott ranted, causing aneksi to raise her eyebrows and swallow.
derek's whole face changed to anger, and that intimidated aneksi beyond words. however, she found the situation so odd, so serious. it was severe, but she just couldn't act like them.
"this is way too intense for me." she mumbled to stiles and pursed her lips together.
"i know one thing." derek started, turning around. "when i find it, i'm gonna' kill it." he stated as he walked away.
"he seriously needs to soften up a little." she commented. both stiles and scott closed their eyes before simultaneously turning around to give her a look. "what? it's true."
"i had almost forgotten her ability to handle situations with the same sarcasm as you." scott smiled, directing his words to stiles.
"you can't say that you haven't missed it. anyway, aneksi, i need you to do some reading on kanimas. can you do that?" stiles asked her, and she just shrugged.
"of course. i'll text you if i find anything important."
hey! so i hope you guys like this and thanks for reading! i also wanted to tell you all that i've changed my tumblr url, so it's not nefertiris anymore, it's now 'killianruby'!.