Full Moon:

Signed, sealed, and stamped.

We all stood in silence as the creature scurried out of sight. Our bodies frozen to the spot as the realisation of the Kanima's true identity settled in. Derek was the first to move, Boyd had already moved his fallen packmates leaving his alpha to charge after Jackson alone. After a few stunned moments Scott and Stiles leapt into action. Both boys diving into Stiles' jeep without a word. They gunned the engine as they speed away leaving me and the other girls speechless on the lawn.

A confused Lydia frowned at the roof, part of me wondered if it was luck or sheer coincidence that kept her from seeing everything. She had been under the porch when Jackson had escaped and had therefore not seen whatever it was that had us all worked up. While she tried to make sense of everything Allison and I shared a heated look. Neither of us knew what to do next but we knew everything had just got a lot harder for us. Nodding my head toward her car I tried to encourage Allison to leave, the last thing we wanted was her family finding her outside Scott's house. She seemed to understand my suggestion but something stopped her from moving.

"Lydia, come on. I'll give you ride," I called out to the red head. To my surprise she turned and started toward me without any protest or complaint. Maybe she was tired of asking or maybe she knew I would tell her once we were alone. Allison had clearly seen my ulterior motive.

The huntress had known I would tell Lydia everything if she asked, Scott had informed her about our discussion in chemistry. As Lydia went to walk past us Allison reached out and took ahold of her arm. Though her words were directed at the petite between us her eyes narrowed on me. " I need you to promise that you won't say anything about what just happened," she pleaded softly, she had so much to lose.

"I'll promise not to say anything about what just happened if you can tell me what the hell just happened," Lydia bit back in frustration.

Allison's eyes softened as they shifted down onto Lydia's disheartened form. Neither of us knew how to respond as our mouths moved soundlessly trying to find the right words. Allison spoke first, "It's - it's kind of complicated."

I let out a low groan at her choice of phrase, surely she could have thought of something better than that. Chocolate eyes narrowed at the noise that had escaped my lips. Glaring at me, Allison cleared her throat and shuffled from foot to foot as if the action would somehow improve the vague statement that had just left her lips.

It didn't. The silence that followed Allison's comment only riled Lydia up more, "Well, how 'bout you start with why was Derek there? Or where Jackson went," her eyes darted between us at such speed I was getting nauseous just watching her. "-or what is wrong with Erica? Oh, do you need a minute to come up with a plausible lie?" Wrenching her arm from Allison's grip she all but snarled the last few words at us. We both watched her stomp towards my already open car and slam the passenger door with such force the vehicle rocked in protest.

"We should tell her," I sighed heavily as I looked back to catch Allison's gaze.

She looked almost offended by the insinuation, "you didn't tell me."

"-and look how well that worked out," I replied as she started toward her own car. Allison didn't bother looking back but she did falter for fraction of a second as my words reached her. Could she not see how much this was hurting Lydia? Surely she could sympathise with the red head. I mean Allison herself had been livid when she had found out all our little secrets.

I was greeted by a stale silence as I sank into the driver's seat. Lydia didn't turn to acknowledge me and I didn't comment on her bloodshot eyes. Guilt washed over me as I pulled my car onto the curb beside Lydia's house. The last time I had been here she had been the queen bee of beacon hills. Now, she was the go to topic for a good gossip. Neither of us said anything as she left the car.

Resting my head against the steering wheel I took a moment to think. That moment turned into an hour as I continued to debate with myself. By the time I was ready to head home I had made up my mind, I was going to tell Lydia. Maybe not right now but next time she asked I was going to tell her the truth, the entire truth.

My night had been full of restless tossing and turning. Images of scaled creatures and claws filled my dreams. One particularly bad nightmare had had me screaming myself awake. It had started like most of them did. I had been crawling through the dirt in a woodland clearing, my weak arms trying desperately to pull myself forward. There was a silhouette sprawled out on the floor by the twisted roots of an over sized tree. It was only then that it began to change. The figure in front of me wasn't the faceless female I was used to, no instead of some nameless body Lydia Martin lay lifelessly in the mud. Her shimmering formal dress caked with blood as deep gashes covered her body.

Soon the familiar sound of footsteps filled the clearing. However as with Lydia my attacker had been substituted for another. Peter. His glowing red eyes flared out from the tree line. Slowly, he reached out his claws bushing Lydia's red curls away from her bare shoulders. The moment his claws dug into her flesh I began to scream.

No one else in the house had woken up. Perhaps they were just deep sleepers or maybe they were merely accustomed to the night terrors. I didn't bother trying to get back to sleep after that. Instead I propped open my laptop and once again began trying to find way of decoding the ancient text of the bestiary. Hours passed and all I managed to achieve was printing out the few pages that related to the Kanima. I hadn't even gotten round to translating it.

Frustratingly I set of to school knowing full well my focus would be on the book pages I had tucked into my old stolen library book. Once I had reached school I was surprised to find the halls alive with chatter. Everyone was talking about an attack that had occurred at the local gay club and the rumour was people from school had been involved. When one classmate had mentioned a drug that had the clubbers paralyzed and hallucinating monsters I knew Jackson was involved.

I knew I had to find Scott or Stiles but before I could begin my search Matt stopped me in my tracks, "Audrey has been pestering me about that incident at the club, as if I was there. Does she think I'm into guys?" His question made me pause. My search for the pair of oddball friends was abandoned as a smile crept onto my face. I had forgotten I had told Audrey Matt was inclined to male company. Well told was a strong word, I had merely hinted heavily that there was a reason Matt rarely dated girls. Matt caught my look and glared, "what did you do?"

"I might have made a few comments," I shrugged dismissively.

Shaking his head he fell against the locker beside me, "great thanks for that." If I'm being honest I was a little disappointed he wasn't more upset about it. Instead he leant closer as if to whisper a dark secret, "you heard that Jackson's gone missing"

My blood ran cold. Had Derek gotten hold of Jackson? Surely the boys wouldn't have let that happen but then again I hadn't seen either of them today. Perhaps something had happened after Scott's house last night. But if it had why didn't they call? My mind began to picture every possible scenario.

Matt took my silence as interest in his story and continued to gossip, "yeah rumor is his parents have gone to the sheriff and everything. Maybe him and Stiles have run off together. Wait you didn't know Stiles was off did you?" That meant Scott was at school and the young wolf would know exactly what was going on. Without any more than a mumbled parting I set off. "Where are you going?" Called Matt as I marched down the hall, "Would you stop walking away from me!"

As I weaved my way through the busy corridors I couldn't help but notice the newly installed cameras that had seemed to appear overnight. No one else seemed overly concerned by the sudden appearance of big brother. Perhaps they just assumed they had been put in for their own protection, perhaps they hadn't even noticed them. I know better though. With Gerrard as principle this surveillance wasn't for protection, it was for hunting.

Now maybe I was being paranoid but I couldn't help but notice a surprising number of cameras pointed at one student in particular. There in the centre of the lens glare, I spotted Scott's mop of brown locks. He was just ahead of me in the sea students. I tried to move closer but was stopped by a firm grip on my upper arm, "Emma! They know, they know about Jackson."

Allison had caught me just as she exited her class. "Yeah I," I paused as my eyes settled in the familiar short hairs woman still sat in the classroom Allison had just left, "is that your mum?" Allison nodded grimly. Hooking her arm into mine she began to lead me toward the car park.

"I know where they are but we can't go in my car," Allison proceeded to inform me that her parents where monitoring her calls still and she thought they might be tracking her car to. I let her rant on about her mother's treats to kill Scott and Gerrard's scare tactics. As we neared the exit my eyes shifted to the last camera in the hall. It was pointed directly at us and seemed to slide on its perch as we past. As Allison unhooked are arm from mine to open the doors I glanced back up at the camera.

With one swift motion I flipped the machine my middle finger at it. The lens reflected my defiant glare back at me. I held it just long enough to ensure the cameras operator had noticed before turning to following my friend. Allison didn't look amused by my actions and in hindsight I probably should have thought about the consequences for her. Though we both knew I didn't regret it. I would happily do it again, they had practically invited it upon themselves.

While we drove my phone buzzed aggressively in my pocket. With a sigh I passed it to her, "I assume you're getting the same messages."

Allison nodded back, "what are we going to do?"

Lydia has been texting the pair of us all day. She had started with light questions before descending into full blown rants. I hadn't replied to any of her messages yet and the guilt was eating away at me. I had never thought keeping secrets from friends would be this difficult!

I knew Allison hadn't replied to the messages either from the mirrored guilt in her eyes. She could tell I wanted to reply, to reply honestly. With a shake of her head Allison cut through my thoughts with a sharp declaration, "she wouldn't believe us."

I didn't answer. Letting the car work it's way over the uneven terrain of the reserve until we finally reached the boys. The stark white paint of the sheriff's van contrasted with the dull earth tones that surrounded. How they hadn't been found yet was begun me as the pair had decided a police van was the best place to hide. We were all going to end up in jail for this.

Pulling up to the vehicle I killed the engine and began to unbuckle my seatbelt. Allison caught my hand just before I moved to leave, "just don't alright, not yet."

I didn't respond. She took my silence as an agreement and set of toward the teen, who was now leaning against the vans bonnet. We hadn't been trying to be quiet as we approached but clearly we should have called out to him. As Allison reaches Stiles the boy jumped wildly at the sight of her before clutching his heart dramatically, "Oh, my God." He glared back at us as if it was our fault he hadn't heard us.

"They know," Allison started.

Stiles' glare turned to frown, "know what?"

Rolling my eyes and placed a hand on the metal of the vans hold, where I assumed they had been keeping Jackson, "they know Jackson's missing."

His expression lightened at my words, not the response I had been expecting, "No, they can't." He assured us, "I've been texting his parents since last night. They don't have a clue." As if to prove it he waved Jackson's phone in the air.

"Then why did his parents go to the police," silence followed Allison's question.

My eyes shifted toward the phone Stiles had so proudly displayed to us. With a groan I grabbed the device and waved it back in Stiles' face. Horror filled his eyes as his mouth twisted in panic. His arms began whirl as he snatched at the police radio in the van.

The sheriff's department were on their way to us. In an instant we had sprung to action. Stiles and Allison had scrambled into the van to move Jackson while I took the phone and run back to my own car. Once the pair had the van moving I dialed for the emergency services and launched the phone into the woods. I watched as it continued to roll down a nearby hill. It didn't go far but hopefully would be enough to give us some time.

By the time I had caught up with them they had already parked up and were engaged in a heated discussion on the edge of the canyon. I'd never been this far into the woods before. As I moved toward them I couldn't help but admire the view. Hundreds of lights littered the horizon like a blurred reflection of the glowing stars in the night sky.

Scott had joined the group to it seemed and was currently defending Jackson right for help. I could only assume one of the others had suggested killing him, which I wouldn't put past Stiles. Despite all the negative trait his best friend brought up Scott stood by his decision to help Jackson. As he and Allison passed the van I couldn't help but wonder if Jackson could hear any of our conversation. Did he have enhanced hearing like Scott or did he only have abilities when he was the kanima?

"You know that's bad for you right?" Stiles' statement pulled me from my pondering. His eyes had narrowed in on the thin white cigarette curled in my hand.

I shrugged back as I fumbled in my pocket for a lighter, "I've heard the rumors yeah"

"and it stinks," my fingers paused as they brushed against the smooth plastic of my lighter. I knew most people frown upon my dirty little habit but hearing the distaste in Stiles' voice threw me slightly. I couldn't help but be disappointed with myself that one person's opinion of me mattered that much. Pretending that I couldn't find the lighter I pocketed the cigarette and pulled my phone out instead.

As I unlocked it messages started to fill the screen; 'You promised.' 'You said you'd tell me.' ' Emma I need to know.' ' I'm losing my mind.' A part of me wished I had just ignored Stiles and lit that cigarette.

I felt eyes peering down over my shoulder. Stiles had lent across to me and was practically resting his forehead against my cheek. He craned his neck awkwardly to see the messages more clearly, "you can't tell her."

"You shouldn't read other people's messages," I replied pushing his head away with a bit more force than necessary.

Stiles rubbed his forehead childishly as he replied with a nonchalant shrug, "out of everything I've done today I think reading over your shoulder is the least damning. You know you can't tell her about Scott right. Or Jackson, or any of it for that matter."

"I won't," I lied easily.

He pressed his lips together in disbelief and twisted his hands in an attempt to encourage an answer out of me, "so want are you going to tell her? Emma? Hey what are you going to say!" I ignored his shouts as I left him alone on the edge of the canyon. I couldn't answer him, I didn't even know what I was going to say yet.

I hesitated outside her house. Despite the multiple plans I'd created during the drive I still had no idea what I was going to tell the redhead. Pressing my finger into the doorbell I held my breath hoping no one would answer. I was almost tempted to leave, to just walk away before the door opened.

However I wasn't quick enough. Mrs, perhaps she preferred Ms now, Martin pulled the heavy wooden door open to reveal their well decorated hallway. I'd seen it before but it looked different now. It must have been the lack of drunken teens. I could see the woman eyeing me curiously, I doubt I matched her preconception of Lydia's friends. I shifted slightly trying to pull the baggy jumper I'd thrown on this morning down to cover more of my fishnets.

"Hello," she started caustionally, "and you are?" Her eyes ran across my face taking in the thick black rings around my eyes and the tight smile I had forced onto my lips.

"I'm Emma, Emma King. I'm a friend of Lydia's," it took a few moments for my words to sink in but it seemed that Lydia had mentioned me before as her mother's eyes lit up with some form of recognition.

"Oh yes, you're mother is an author, I've just started her latest book, I'm sorry to hear about your father," Ms Martin stepped aside and ushered me into her home as she spoke. A new found fondness filled her voice.

Shuffling past her I let out a halfhearted thank you before heading up the stairs towards Lydia's room. I was still uneasy about the idea of strangers knowing about my personal life. Mum had never asked me or Josh if we minded her dragging dad through the dirt in her newest book. While I had no issues with the villainization of my runaway father, I would have preferred it if people didn't know the ins and outs of my parents failed marriage.

I called out to Lydia as I approached her room but didn't receive any form of reply. Knowing that her mother wouldn't have invited me in if she wasn't home I pushed open the door. Lydia jumped at the sound of the door opening and shot up from her spot the bed. Eyes wide with an emotion I couldn't quite place she moved forward slowly, as if she was worried I wasn't real.

Frowning at her strange behaviour I strolled into the room and perched on the edge of the bed she had just stood up from. Letting my bad roll down onto the floor. I couldn't help but notice the tiny specks of mud that seemed to cling to the carpet around the edges of the bed frame. Surely her dog didn't make that much mess.

"You came," her voice was weak and uneven as if she had been crying recently.

Pinning her with a hard look I replied honestly, "you asked me to."

Sighing heavily she sank into the mattress beside me, "no one else came."

"Clearly I don't have a busy schedule," how else was I meant to reply? Sorry they're busy watching over your ex, who is actually a murdering lizard monster, in the middle of the woods. A brief silence fell over us as I tried to think of what to say to her. Stiles and Allison had been so against telling her that I almost felt bad for planning to reveal it all. Almost. Glancing back at Lydia I found her eyes glued to something by her feet.

The glisten letters of my tatty old Library book glared up at me. Reaching down I plucked the book from the floor, where it had conveniently fallen from my bag, and turned it over in my hand until the title winked in the lamp light.

I head Lydia scoff beside me, "lycanthropy?" Her eyes were trained on the title as a smile slipped onto my face. I wasn't breaking any promises if I let her work it out on her own and if anyone was smart enough to content the dots it was Lydia Martin. I kept quiet as I handed book toward her, "Werewolves? This is the lie you're going to go with? Wait what's that," she plucked the print outs of the bestiary from their place tucked between the dog eared pages.

With everything that had happened today I had forgot I had printed them out. With a small shrug I replied simply, "just some pages from a book I was trying to translate, even google isn't able to help though."

"Is it Latin?" She examined the sheets of paper in her hand carefully, "Oh it's archaic Latin, I can translate this for you." I couldn't help but laugh at her comment.

While Lydia had begun reading through the text and writing what looked to be an in-depth translation, I rang Allison. I hadn't told the huntress why she needed to come to Lydia's just that it was important. As expected the girl had come at my call. Something that had bugged Lydia enough to force her away from her work momentarily to make a bitter comment. I didn't quite catch it but I'm certain it had something to do with Allison choosing which friends she answers.

If Lydia had held any bitterness toward Allison she didn't show it. When the young hunter had arrived we had both greeted her as always. With small smiles and snide comments. Neither of us complained when she let out a frustrated groan, "what was so urgent?"

"Tell her the good news Lydia."

"I know Archaic Latin," supplied Lydia as she passed her translation over to the new comer.

Allison turned sharply toward me her eyes filled with betrayal as she went to accuse me of spilling our joint secrets but the words never came. Instead she paused and eyed the paper in her hand before glancing back at Lydia, "Wait, you know archaic Latin?"

"I got bored with Classical Latin," her reply had me chuckling to myself again.

"Just how smart you?" Smarter than any of us it would appear. I had already decided I would leave my book with her. Lydia was too smart not to have on our side, in our pack. The phrase still made me cringe slightly but it was true. And if we were going to win this we needed as much help as we could get! I just hoped Allison would see that now, "The kanima seeks a master? Ms. Morrell said that word means friend. The Kanima seeks a friend."

"She was wrong. It means master. Why? Is that important?" Allison and I shared a look. Yes that was important. If Jackson had a master that changed everything, someone wasn't trying to help him. Someone was controlling him.

Thank you to the recent follows, favourites and reviews. Always keen to hear about your feelings on chapters or think might happen. Getting closer to Emma finding out about Matt!