Disclaimer: teen wolf does not belong to me in any way, shape or form :( and yet again another super quick update for you all, I can't stop lately lol

So thank you for all your continued support and all the reads, and a massive shoutout to guest, Minnie999 and anonymousvoice for the awesome reviews again. it means the world :) hope you like this next chapter. There's a lot ;)

She found it absolutely hilarious how Stiles reacted to anything to do with sex. He was a teenage boy. Didn't he think of sex all the time? How could he find it awkward?

Honestly, she thought it was quite cool of the sheriff to be so - sort of - chill about it all. She wished her mom was like that. Instead, she just got shamed for her actions and tried to be forced to take birth control. Maybe if her mom was a bit more sex positive, Kayla wouldn't have turned out the way she did.

She smirked as she knelt down to pick up the three condom wrappers, chuckling under her breath as Stiles winced.

"Trojan ultra thin" she laughed, peeking up at Stiles with a playful glint in her eyes. "Your dad must know his condoms well".

"Oh my god" Stiles said, throwing a hand up over his face in complete mortification, "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I'm going to die. This cannot be happening to me. This cannot be happening to me. Oh my god".

"At least he has faith that you could go three rounds in one day".

Stiles spluttered in response, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Anything to avoid the complete and utter mortification that came with the last ten seconds of his life.

She stood back up, still holding the three condoms in her grasp as her eyes twinkled with amusement, that streak of devilish behaviour flaring up in her smirk.

"Can you go three rounds in one day?" she purred seductively, her gaze locked on his and keeping him prisoner, "... just for future reference".

"F-F-Future refrence?"

She didn't reply immediately, enjoying watching him squirm and fight for his life all at once. Completely overwhelmed with the implications behind her words, not helped any when she dragged her gaze down and then slowly all the way back up his body, lapping up every inch of him.

"U-Uh..."

She bit her lip, holding back a more devious smirk as she held out the condoms for him to take from her but he was frozen to the spot, unsure what to do.

"They're yours" she sing songed in a faux innocent voice, taking his limp arm and pressing them into the palm of his hand, "I don't have the right anatomy to fill them".

He gulped, looking as if he was swallowing a rather large and squirming frog as he wordlessly glanced at the condoms, spluttering out a few indistinguishable vowels and flaring an even deeper red - all the way to the tips of his ears. It was cute. He was cute. His awkwardness endearing and surprisingly sexy.

"Heh-Ah... um... th-this is... these aren't... w-what do I... heh-h-how-"

"Well, they usually go on your penis" she said rather matter of factly, causing Stiles to blush even more, "something I know that you have".

"U-Uh... heh... that's not, um..."

"They're just condoms Stiles. Not a bomb" she laughed, "relax".

"R-Relax?" he spluttered out in panic, verging on wheezing as he loosely held onto the condoms, not knowing what to do with them, "relax? My dad-he just... he thinks we're... he gave me- oh my god- I would rather the bomb".

"Is it a bad thing he thinks we're fucking?" she joked, "because, not to have an inflated ego or anything, but I'm pretty hot. You could do a lot worse".

"What? No. Oh my god. Of-Of course you're hot. You're-You're stunning. You're wayyyy out of my frigging league in every single way possible".

She quirked a brow, sending him a flirty glance.

"I wouldn't say every single way" she counteracted with a smirk, "you're hot too".

"I-I am?"

"Oh yeah" she whispered, her gaze portraying nothing but blatant attraction as her smirk grew into a sultry smile, "would I have had phone sex with you if you weren't?"

His eyes grew wide, being faced with the memory of their phone call in front of her and having to awkwardly shuffle to hide the growing bulge in his pants, completely lost for words. Again. A common theme when it came to anything involving Kayla.

She laughed, completely unfazed by the usual societal norms of embarrassment that others were controlled by - free and unrestrained. He liked that. He liked how she pushed him out of his comfort zone.

"Uh... heh... so, yeah... about that..."

She simply raised a brow, waiting for him to continue.

"... What... What, um... what did it, y'know... mean...?"

"Mean?"

"Y-Yeah" he nodded, "did it mean... anything?"

She remained quiet, trying to think of something to say. Completely caught off guard by that question. Feeling it was too soon to explore what it could potentially mean because she didn't do these kind of vulnerable feelings.

"It's just, we didn't really get to talk about it" he continued, tripping over his words in the cutest panicked way possible, "but I feel like we probably should - talk about it, that is. Because now I don't know how I'm meant to act around you or what I'm meant to do... am I meant to do anything?"

She bit her lip, finding solice and safety in looking at the carpet for a few long seconds, trying to find something to say. Ignoring the way her heart squeezed and thundered against her rib cage, that invisible pull she had felt for him before strengthening.

She knew they had to have this conversation sooner or later, but why not later? Wayyyy later? Preferably in about a decades time.

What was she meant to tell him? That it meant nothing? That would be a lie, and Kayla did not like lying. Tell him it meant something? But then she would be putting herself out there, and that was something else Kayla did not do. Putting herself out there just resulted in disaster... she couldn't afford the consequences.

"Kaylz...?"

She almost missed the fact he called her, for the very first time, his own unique nickname, drawing her attention back up to him.

"I... I don't know Stiles" she shrugged, "it was just something that happened".

"Yeah, but why?"

"I think you know why".

"Maybe. But I need to hear you say it".

"Why?" she asked quietly and almost shyly, fear evident in her stare.

"So I can know I'm not going crazy and imagining something that isn't actually there. In case it's not blatantly obvious to you by now, I'm sort of obsessed with you. I don't want to live through another ten years of liking someone that doesn't like me back".

She didn't do relationships. She didn't do feelings. She didn't do vulnerability. It wasn't in her DNA. She had learnt, in the worst way possible, not to trust anyone or anything with her heart. Ever since then, hiding it away and protecting it in the only way she knew how - by closing herself off. If no one had her heart then no one would could break it. It made sense, right?

Right?

"Stiles... I've told you before that liking me is a really dumb thing to do"

He smiled lightly, "just as well I do dumb things all the time then. I'm an expert at dumb things".

"This would be the dumbest thing ever. Trust me".

"I disagree" he shook his head, "you see yourself as this terrible, awful, unworthy person but you're not. You're strong. You're wilful. You're fun. You're smart. You don't take any shit. Whatever stuff you went through, you came out the other end of it. You moved halfway across the country, leaving everything and anyone you're ever known, to start a new life and make a fresh start. That's... inspiring. That's brave".

She didn't see it as brave. She saw it as a necessity. Most of her bridges burnt back home. Her reputation shattered. She felt she had to move away if she had a shot at making her life a better one. If anything, she saw it as an easy cop out. She ran away. She left her friends, her home, her life because she was scared to make amends. That definitely wasn't brave in her book.

"No. I ran" she corrected, much to his confused look, "it's what I do Stiles. I run away from things. I ran away from my grief. I ran away from my responsibility. I ran away from my family and my friends. Coming here, to Beacon Hills, was just another example of me running away".

"I don't believe that" he said, "not for a single second".

"That's because you see what you want to see" she said sadly, "I've said it before - you only see the good in me. You wear these rose tinted glasses with me. Trust me, if you knew-"

"And I've said it before" he interrupted, "I don't care. I don't care what you've done. Nothing will make me change my mind".

She sighed, "you're pretty infuriating sometimes, you know that right?"

"Oh yeah" he smirked, "loud and proud about it".

She gave a soft chuckle, choosing to sit back on the edge of his bed as she wrung her hands together in contemplation, feeling the bed dip as he sat down next to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked after a couple minutes of silence, gently nudging her elbow with his, "have I... have I don't something wrong?"

"No" she whispered, "I just... I... I can't give you what you want. I can't do... feelings".

"... Because of your ex?"

"I met him at the worst possible time Stiles" she explained, "I was drowning in grief. I wasn't coping. It had only been a few weeks since I lost them... my brother, Dyl, and my dad. It was close to Christmas and that was just making everything so much worse. Seeing everyone's perfect little families shopping and carol singing and putting up their trees when my family... when my family was..."

She couldn't look at him, resting her arms on her knees as she picked absentmindedly at her fingernails, unsure why she was opening up to him so much but just knowing she felt safe to do so around him. Knowing he would listen and understand.

"I had just turned fifteen and I lost everything. My mom wasn't coping... she would shut herself in her room for days at a time. I was left in charge of the funerals, the police, the house, the bills... all whilst I was falling apart myself. And I tried, I really did. I tried to be strong and do the right thing but I... I lost sight of what the right thing was. Then I met him".

"He was exactly right. At the time" she added with a snort, "he made the perfect distraction. When I was with him, I wasn't poor little Kayla that just lost her family. He didn't look at me with pity or sympathy. I was just Kayla, and I needed that. I needed to be normal".

"But he was damaged too. Maybe that's what attracted me to him. That broken and battered soul that I knew all too well. It wasn't a good mix. Before I knew it, I was drinking everyday. Taking anything I could get my hands on, and he would help me get it. Being a werewolf, he couldn't ever get the same hit off it like I could, but it didn't stop him trying. He would mix it with very small amounts of wolfsbane as a way to weaken him enough that he could get high. But when he got high, he got mean".

"We would fight all the time, over the most stupidest things. I would poke at him until he snapped. The only time I ever felt anything during that time was when we almost killed each other. Yet I kept going back. I was... trauma bonded to him, I guess. It didn't matter that he had just choked me into unconsciousness, or sprained my arm or even broke my ribs because when I was with him, I didn't have to think about my family. I didn't have to grieve them. And I would have taken anything to not have to experience that grief".

"But it wasn't just him. It was me too. I... I was a disaster. I poisoned myself with alcohol. I overdosed and nearly killed myself time and time again. I didn't care what dangerous situations I put myself in. I... I let myself get exploited. If my drug fuelled binge didn't end up in the hospital, then it sure as hell would end up in a police cell. I lied. I stole. I hurt people. I ran up thousands upon thousands of debt. I flunked school. I truly was a waste of space back then".

"But Aiden's brother, he... he was my saving grace. He protected me. He stood by me. He kept my secret of-"

She cut herself off, shaking her head. Not willing to go down that path.

"... He kept my secrets" she corrected, "he got me through a difficult time. When I spiralled, he was there to ground me. When I wanted death to come, he promised me that life would get better. If it wasn't for him, I would be dead by now. Whether at the hands of Aiden or by the drugs, I don't know. But the only reason I'm breathing is because of him. Because he saw something in me worth saving".

"My relationship with my mom had never been the best. But since those months she... she hasn't looked at me the same since. She was only willing to let me back if I went to rehab, so that's what I did. When everyone else was starting sophomore year, I was stuck in rehab for two months. I celebrated my 16th birthday alone, getting drug screened twice a day and patted down by handsy orderlies in case I somehow smuggled drugs in. The perfect 16th birthday for any girl, huh?" she laughed, knowing if she didn't she would cry.

She didn't know why she was telling him all this. Especially in such a raw, vulnerable way. When she spoke about this time, she joked about it. She used dark humour to get through the pain, but now? She was wearing her heart on her sleeve. Baring all for the boy that always seemed to be there for her.

She kept her head down in shame, for once, too scared to look up and meet his stare. A part of her worried she had scared him off for good.

"So, you see..." she whispered with a defeated shrug, "after that... I can't let myself ever feel again. I just... I just can't".

To her surprise, he reached out and gently cupped the back of her head, stroking her hair gently with his thumb but she didn't dare look up, wallowing in her shame.

"He hurt you" he whispered, acknowledging her pain in the softest most empathetic way possible, "he hurt you at a time you needed help. I would never do that to you".

"I can't know that for sure" she murmured, her sad stare boring a hole in the piece of carpet between her bare feet, "people break their promises all the time".

"And you think I would?"

"I think you're human" she said, "and humans make mistakes. Humans have feelings. Humans get things wrong. My heart cannot take anymore".

It was then Stiles fully realised just how broken she truly was. How badly she thought of herself. The pain and guilt still eating her alive from the inside out.

In a way, she was just like him. He recognised himself in her. Since he lost his mom, he hadn't ever been the same. Forced to grow up too quickly, and care for a father that was falling apart too. Turning to humour and sarcasm to carry him through the day. Their situations similar. Both having so much pain for a teenager to have to live through.

"Why did you tell me all that?" he mumbled, soothing her by continuing to stroke her hair, "you didn't have to..."

She still wouldn't look at him, holding back the tears by blinking quickly.

"...To show you that I'm not worth it".

"Is that what you really think?" he asked, "that you're not worth the effort? Or forgiveness?"

Her silence was answer enough.

"Hey, look at me" he coaxed quietly, his hand dipping from the back of her head to just under her chin, tilting her head a little to the side, "please?"

She didn't fight his fingers, allowing him to softly turn her face to his, cradling her like an expensive diamond, her gaze unable to look at him for long.

"You deserve to forgive yourself" he murmured, "it's not fair to live your life punishing yourself for your mistakes. You're a good person. You're a good person who made mistakes when she was in pain. I understand. I get it".

She didn't know why he was so accepting of her and her past. She didn't understand how he could still look at her with so much emotion when she just bared the darkest parts of her soul to him. She opened up to him hoping, in a way, she would push him away. Instead, it looked to have just pulled him closer.

Her eyes were blurry with tears, desperately holding them back as he offered her a small friendly smile, letting her know he was being honest with her. That he believed everything he said and more.

"You know, um... the night in the school?"

He nodded in response, unsure where she was going with this.

"The Alpha was controlling me. I don't know how, I don't know why, but what I do know is... is that it was you who pulled me back" she whispered, her voice shy and cracking. "I was only able to escape his control because of... because of you".

"M-Me?"

"... You".

"Why?" he asked, not dropping his hand from her jaw, his thumb pad absentmindedly stroking her cheek.

He think he knew why, but he needed to be sure. He needed to know for certain.

She stayed quiet, not quite brave enough to say the words. Her heart too scared of the repercussions. Her gaze dropping again, wondering if she should've held that secret close to her chest.

"Does it matter why?"

"No" he smiled gently, even though she wasn't looking at him, "I'm just glad I could help".

A single tear dropped from her eyelashes when she blinked, trailing down her cheek which he swept away, his heart aching at her pain. Wishing he could take it all away from her.

"Don't cry" he whispered, "it's okay".

It wasn't okay. None of this was okay. Nothing she was feeling was okay. Why was this happening to her now? Why was her heart making her feel all these confusing things?

She blinked, hoping to get rid of the tears but instead two more cascaded down her face, leaving hot trails in their wake.

Stiles - good, reliable Stiles - soon brushed them away, frowning as he tried to think of ways to help her. Hating seeing her so upset.

There had to be something he could do. Something to make it better. Anything to take away her sadness. To ease her pain. To give her the happiness she deserved.

He moved his hand from her cheek, carefully tucking a strand of her loose hair behind her ear, feeling suddenly protective. Protective of her emotional state, willing to do anything to make her feel like more. Wishing he could make her see how he saw her.

"Whatever happens... you'll always have me in your corner. I promise" he vowed, not putting any pressure on her right now. It wouldn't be right. She clearly wasn't ready for more now, and he didn't want to push her away. Happy to just have her in his life.

His lack of expectation was a gentle surprise, her teary gaze flitting up to lock onto his, finding comfort and acceptance in his big brown eyes.

God she was so frigging stupid. Her stupid broken heart and her stupid fucked up mental state were stopping her from having someone good and honest. Someone gentle and caring. Someone the complete opposite to what she had always had. Why did she have to be so god damn broken?

Her gaze studied his face, carving out and remembering every detail. Seeing nothing but care and empathy burning in his gaze. No one having looked at her like that before. Not with so much emotion.

He was meant to be just a friend but, instead, she was falling for him. Something about him captivating her and sending her somersaulting headfirst into the confusing depths of feelings. Wanting to run away but at the same time wanting to hold on tighter. How could one person do this to her?

She bit her lip, unsure how they got to be so close, their noses just millimetres away as she watched his nerves play out across his expression. His breathing was quick and heavy, his hand loosely holding her hair.

"Well?" she whispered, unable to hear her own voice over the thundering of her heart and the rush of blood whooshing past her ears, "... are you going to...?"

His eyebrows shot up, clearly overwhelmed and nervous as his gaze darted quickly across her face, desperate to find answers in her expression.

"A-Am I going to-to do...?"

"Kiss me".

She watched him gulp, his molten honey stare quickly dropping to focus on her lips, the invite too sweet to resist.

"C-Can I?" he asked, voice full of hesitant wondering, sweeping some hair over her shoulder.

Her nod was very slight, giving him the green light. Waiting patiently as his tongue darted out to wet his lips, bringing her closer so their mouths brushed against one another, grazing the line between friendship and more.

He hadn't breathed in what felt like forever, dizzy and overwhelmed as he dipped his head, just about to capture her willing lips when the shrill ring of a phone cut through the moment.

Whatever confidence he had was immediately wiped away as he jumped back, Kayla doing the same - like they both realised what had just happened, looking at each other with wide awkward eyes.

She glanced around in a bit of a daze, trying to locate her phone and spotted it on the bedside table, wordlessly reaching over and grabbing it, barely registering it was Danny phoning her.

She answered, lifting the phone to her ear and cleared her throat before squeaking out an unsure "hello?"

"Hey kid" he greeted cheerily, "Lydia, being Lydia, has sent me to pick you up. Apparently you disappeared from her house last night? She was worried which is weird. I never see Lydia worried".

She was confused, not following this conversation at all.

"...What?"

"She tracked your phone GPS. Well, she got me to do it. Which leads me to my first question... why are you at Stiles Stilinski's house?"

A part of her brain was still back in that suspended moment in time, remembering the brief touch of his lips on hers, struggling to think of anything else.

"Kayla? You there?"

"What? Yeah, sorry. Uh..." she quickly peaked at Stiles over her shoulder, watching him quietly panic and look around awkwardly, "where are you?"

"Outside Stiles' house" he slowly emphasised each word as if she was five years old, "which is where you are. Why is that?"

"Uh..."

"Nevermind. Give me the details in the car" he said, and she could basically hear the smirk in his voice, "I can't wait to see this walk of shame".

He hung up, not giving her room to argue. Leaving her to look down at her phone in confusion.

"Danny's here to pick me up" she mumbled, still unsure how this was happening, "Lydia sent him".

"Oh. Oh. Right" Stiles fumbled with his words, "that's... weird".

"Yeah, just a tad" she mumbled, "uh... I probably shouldn't leave him waiting..."

"Right, yeah, of course" he agreed, nodding quickly as he copied her in standing up, "of course. Can't leave Danny waiting..."

They were both awkward and unsure, standing facing each other waiting for the other to say something first.

"Do you want your clothes back?" she finally murmured, although not wanting to admit she felt cosy and at home in them, enjoying how they felt on her bare skin.

"Oh, uh... no. No. You keep them. They look better on you anyway".

She bit the inside of her cheek, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and very exposed - a part of regretting telling Stiles everything she just did. Usually holding her emotions so close to her chest.

"Oh. Thanks" she whispered, "and thanks for, uh..."

"Anytime" he smiled tightly, rubbing a hand over his short hair, whatever words he was going to say next dying in the back of his throat.

"Well... guess I'll see you at school on Monday" she said, trying for a friendly smile but it came out tight and reserved as she moved around him to head for his bedroom door, "have a nice weekend".

"Yeah. Yeah. You too".

Their conversation was now stilted and strangely formal, unsure how to continue after those moments of vulnerability and connection, that spark that was once there turning into a blazing trail of red hot fire that erupted in their hearts. No turning back now.

She breathed a long sigh of relief as she shut the bedroom door and leaned back against it, cringing at herself.

Really Kayla? Really? What the hell compelled her to say and do all that? What a dumb fricking move! Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Stupid feelings. Sometimes she wished she could just be numb to it all - to feel nothing at all. To have the ability to flip the switch. Oh, how much easier things would be...

She pushed herself off the door, trying to remember how to get out as she made her way down the stairs but, just her luck, the front door was locked - no key in sight.

She looked around their hallway and front entrance, trying to find the key, begging for a god damn break under her breath as the last thing she wanted to do was call Stiles for help. That would mean having to speak to him again and, quite frankly, she really wasn't ready for that. At all.

"Dammit" she whispered, heading to the next best thing: the living room window.

Danny's quip about enjoying seeing her 'walk of shame' came to light when he watched her squeeze through the narrow opening of the front window, unable to figure out how to open it any wider, and fall ungracefully flat on her face.

She heard his loud screeches of laughter as she picked herself up, clearly leaving her dignity in the house. Throwing him an unamused glare as she climbed into his Mazda.

"Oh, this is epic" Danny howled, holding his ribs as he continued laughing, "I should've been filming this".

"Shut up" she grumbled, "the front door was locked. What was I meant to do?"

"Ask for the key, maybe?"

She rolled her eyes, pulling the belt across her body.

"What the hell happened?" Danny continued laughing, "why were you at Stiles' house?"

She didn't know. She didn't remember. However, apparently drunk her trusted him to help her, hence the pathetic call for help.

"I didn't want to go home" she answered simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"Did you sleep with him?"

"No".

"You sure?" he quipped, glancing down at her in Stiles' clothes.

"Of course I'm sure".

"Shame" Danny remarked with a smirk, starting up the engine and reversing down the driveway, "I'm fed up of hearing about his virgin status".

"Well, his V-Card is still very much intact, I can assure you".

He sensed her awkwardness - something that was very unlike Kayla - and gave her a thorough once over, his brows knitting together in curiousity.

"Oh my god" he proclaimed, "you like him, don't you?"

"Where did you get that idea from?"

"It's written all over your face" he continued playfully, "you like Stiles".

"Don't be so ridiculous".

"Oh dude" he laughed, "you're so whipped".

"I am not whipped" she exclaimed, "I don't get whipped"

He continued to laugh, much to her annoyance, sending him an unamused glare that he wasn't even the slightest bit deterred by.

"I knew Stiles had the hots for you but you liking him back is a plot twist I did not expect".

"I don't even know what you're going on about" she dismissed to the best of her ability.

"Yes you do. You like Stiles. Admit it".

"I'm not admitting anything".

"Knew it".

"Shut up".

"Never".

She elbowed him, wondering what she did that meant she deserved this.

"Is he at least a good kisser?"

Once again she elbowed him, much harder this time, rolling her eyes.

"I didn't kiss him..." she mumbled, realising that statement wasn't exactly true, "... today"

"Kayla and Stiles, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-"

"I will murder you and bury your body where you will never be found" she warned, cutting off his rhyme, "try me".

He pulled into Lydia's driveway, his amused chuckles still ringing in her ears.

"I'm just messing with you" he grinned, "but I'll bet you fifty bucks you're dating him by the time winter formal rolls around".

"I don't date".

"Oh, you'll date him" he smirked, "I guarantee it".

"Has Allison recruited you into her 'give Stiles a chance' cult or something?" she mumbled, "are you both going to rock up to school in matching t-shirts and start a lunchtime group?"

He put his car in park, sending her a grin.

"You taking the bet or not?"

"Of course I'm taking the bet" she scoffed, unbuckling herself, "and I'll win it because I don't date".

"We'll see".

"You're a bit of a cocky bastard, you know that right?"

"Yeah. But only because I know I'm right".

She rolled her eyes, catching a glimpse of Lydia coming down her porch steps.

"Oh look, saved by the bell" she said, "and prepare to lose your fifty bucks Mahealani. I always win".

He just laughed, waving her goodbye as she climbed from his car and walked over to meet Lydia, an empty trash bag in her hand.

"You can't just take off like that" she immediately chastised her, giving her arm a quick slap, "I thought something happened to you".

"What possibly could've happened to me?"

"I don't know. Anything" she rambled, "and why were you at that Stiles' house anyway? Did he take advantage of you?"

Lydia didn't normally show concern, giving her a worried look as she took in her appearance - wearing clothes that clearly were not hers.

"No, of course he didn't. He's not like that".

"Hm" Lydia muttered, pursing her lips, "well, regardless, you owe me" she stated, handing her the empty trash bag, "you can start the clean up in the back garden - and don't give me that look" she added as Kayla looked at her glumly, "you ruined my party. So deal with the mess".

Karma.

Lydia dropped her off home later that morning after working her hungover self into the ground, but offering no pity. Though it seemed all was forgiven regarding the gate crashing incident - for what reason, she didn't know. Lydia didn't strike her as someone to forgive and forget so easily.

She shrugged it off, walking up her driveway and breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed her moms car was gone. Most likely working another busy Saturday at the art gallery.

Win for her. She could enjoy her hungover Saturday in peace and quiet.

She walked into the house, immediately heading straight to her bedroom. Still a little slow on her feet - her ankle, although healing, still throbbing with pain.

She thought it was a bit strange her bedroom door was open, usually always closing it over when she left. Trying to keep her sanctuary a little more private from her mom.

She didn't think much of it, shaking off the worries that entered her head, taking a quick glance around her room. Nothing looked out of place, or moved. Everything was exactly as she left it - more or less.

She was just being paranoid.

Rolling her eyes at herself, she shuffled in and discarded her phone to her vanity table, kicking off Lydia's mom's plimsoles that she offered her, her bare toes indistinctively curling into the fluffy carpet.

She needed sleep and a shower. Her skin feeling itchy and uncomfortable from the chlorine and sticky alcohol.

She took her time, brushing her hair and removing her clothes, stepping into the burning hot water. Enjoying how it relaxed her achey muscles, washing away all her worries.

Well, most of them.

Of course there was still one she was fretting over and that problem was someone called Stiles.

Unfortunately, it wasn't something she could figure out anytime soon.

She was in the shower for so long the water was beginning to turn cool, so she took that as her que to finish up and reached out to turn it off.

When she did, a muffled bang sounded from her room, like the sound of a book hitting the floor.

Immediately the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, her gut telling her something wasn't right. She trusted her gut, quickly reaching out and grabbing her white towel, wrapping it around her body as she stepped from the shower.

The bathroom door was half open, showing her nothing but the stillness of her room.

Her wet feet inched towards the door, on high alert as she pulled it back and peered out, her suspicious and worried gaze sweeping across her room.

Nothing.

No one.

That didn't relax her, her gut still twisting as a warning. Every fibre of her being trying to tell her that something wasn't right.

She tightened the towel around her naked form, ignoring the steady drips of water that trickled down her skin as she slowly stepped into her room, turning in a circle.

Again, nothing had moved. Everything was in the right place-

Her gaze zeroed in on a gold photo frame that should've been tucked away in the drawer of her bedside table, only now it was face down on the carpet.

She swallowed nervously, slowly making her way over to the fallen frame and knelt down to turn it over, seeing the glass cracked and a picture of her and her brother in their younger years smiling at the camera.

A pang of sadnsss shot through her heart, her fingertips grazing across the picture. The influx of sadness causing her to freeze on the spot.

That was her vulnerable spot - her family. Her Achilles heel, so to speak. All preservation instincts out the window for those few fateful seconds.

A tight hand wound around her upper arm, yanking her up and pushing her back on the bed, the frame dropping from her fingers and breaking on impact as it hit the floor, shards of glass bouncing across the carpet.

She automatically reacted as her back hit her mattress, reaching up to hit out but her wrists got knocked away and pinned above her head, suddenly very helpless.

Her eyes met dazzling blue and her lip curled, trying to squirm away but he straddled her hips, grinning down at her.

"Brian" she snarled, "how the hell did you get in my house?"

"What, like it's hard?" he mocked, smirking down at her, his grip tightening around her wrists so she felt her hands tingle.

"What the fuck are you doing?"she demanded, "get off me".

"Oh, but seeing you so helpless is pretty sexy".

She showed him how disgusted she was with that statement, spitting directly in his face.

His eyes darkened for a moment, revealing his true colours, before he blinked and that darkness was gone, unnerving her to the core.

"I'm cashing in" he continued, "getting what I'm owed, in return for my silence".

She ignored the way his greedy gaze slipped downwards, admiring her in the towel, undressing her with his eyes. His eyes clinging to her bare skin and admiring the way it was falling from her frame.

"You're not owed anything" she growled, ignoring the panic of being pinned and helpless, "I'm not sleeping with you!"

His lips quirked, his weight uncomfortable around her hips, thick nails digging into her wrists.

"So you want me to tell everyone the big secret then?" he smirked, "how about the little Argent? Shouldn't she know her pathetic boyfriend is a..." he trailed off, delighted with himself as he howled.

She hid her panic well, not willing to let him get under her skin.

"You'll sound insane" she muttered, "so be my guest. Tell whoever you want".

"You're a good bluff, I'll give you that" he grinned, "but you're scared. I can tell. Do you want to know how I know?"

She didn't reply, brimming with fury and disgust as he inched down, his lips brushing across the pulse point in her neck.

"Your carotid is pulsating" he whispered, "you can't hide that".

"Maybe that's because you won't get off me" she exclaimed, bucking underneath him and causing him to lean back up with a smile on his face.

"It's a good deal" he mumbled, "and, trust me, I'll make it worth it for you".

"You're disgusting".

"No, I just know what a good secret is worth" he was amused, happy to unravel her normally calm and cool exterior, "I really don't think I'm asking that much... it's not like you're a god damn nun, is it?"

"Just get off me" she snarled, "right now. Get off me".

He laughed, enjoying her torment as he gave her one more lusty look, his intentions clear and obvious but let her go, climbing off her and standing up from the bed.

She sat up, rubbing at her red raw wrists and sent him a furious glare as she adjusted her towel.

"I'll tell you what, let's ease you into it" he shrugged, "meet me for lunch tomorrow".

"Lunch?" she glowered, "so we can, what? Play footsie under the table?"

"You're in no position to give me snark" he warned, "I own you now. If you want this secret kept, you'll do what I want. So meet me for lunch tomorrow. I'll text you the details".

She watched him leave, but not before he stopped over the threshold of her bedroom door and grinned at her over his shoulder.

"I think this could be a good alliance, Kayla. I'm excited to see how it turns out".

A/N) THIS CHAPTER GUYS URGH be still my heart. Stayla is THRIVING. I just really think it's important to have them feeling strong feelings for each other BEFORE getting together. But stiles is the cutest and DANNY hahaha he's soo team Stayla too.

but fuck Brian am I right? He's much more menacing in this rewrite, and I hope everyone hates him as much as I do lol

So please let me know your thoughts and I will see you all super soon :)