Authors Note: Good News! I'm sick (just a cold) and you know what this means? I'm now half way through my final draft of episode four hahah
Just so you know, I won't be swapping perspectives quite as often - that was more of a prologue thing. Also, not every chapter will be this long, we just have a lot to establish here.
Thank you so much for the feedback Guest! I'm really glad your enjoying the story :)
Disclaimer - I do not own Teen Wolf. The only things of my own creation in this story is Nat and the situations that arise directly because of her existence.
"You're sure the dead body didn't have any bite marks?"
Scott rolls his eyes, saying quietly, "Stiles - for the last time - I don't know. It was dark. Besides, I already told you they looked more like claw marks! Honestly, I'm more concerned about the bite I got."
"Oh my god - you're right! What if you're turning? Are you turning? Quick eat this!" Stiles quickly shoves something small and white into his best friends mouth before he can protest.
"Ugh," Scott pulls a disgusted face as he chews. "What is this?"
"Garlic," Stiles states mater of factly.
He spits it out instantly. "Dude what the hell?! Why do you just carry that around with you?"
Stiles seems ready with a retort when he spots something that makes the blood drain from his face. There's only one person that can make him react like that, although he's hesitant to even use that phrase to reference her.
He hadn't seen her through the summer, but he was certain she had been watching him; hiding just out of sight.
She still looked just as ethereally beautiful and alluring as she had been last year.
Like, exactly like last year.
He may not have any photos to prove it, but he could guarantee that she hadn't aged a day
Her hair was loose, falling in glimmering honey blonde curls that bounced enticingly and framed her beautifully symmetrical face perfectly. She flanks Lydia Martin's side, a few steps behind as if to indicate her lower rank in the social hierarchy - but no one is fooled. There's something about the new girl (if she could even still be called that after almost a year) that drew you in; she was magnetic. Her deep blue eyes watched the world as though paying close attention to every detail around her - yet any person she spoke to, a rare experience for anyone outside of a small social group, felt like they were the center of all her attention. Her fair skin was flawless, not a single blemish, unlike all the other normal teenagers.
She was absolutely perfect.
...too perfect.
Her bright blue eyes meet his own from behind framed glasses, and Stiles let's out a very manly and not at all undignified squeak as he quickly ducks behind the larger frame of his oldest friend.
Peering over Scott's shoulder, he watches the group of popular girls walk past. Her steps falter for half a second, expression twisting with something like disgust, her nose crinkles and posture stiffens as she looks around. It reminds him vaguely of how she looked at him when he first sat beside her in Chemistry last year.
Stiles is entirely captivated.
Even knowing what he does about her, he can't stop his heart from speeding up in his chest.
...From fright.
Obviously.
After that weird display, that probably went unnoticed by most of the students, he turns to Scott and demands, "Okay - did you see how her hair was shining in the sunlight? That's so not natural!"
"Stiles, are you seriously still on this?" Scott asks with frustration and a hint of worry.
Stiles has a response prepared, but it dies in his throat as she turns flips her hair back to make direct eye contact with him. Her soft curls bounce from the motion, light dancing off of them as if to mock him. And then, as if to rub his face in the fact that his own best friend doesn't believe him, she winks at him!
"There - look! She winked at me!"
Scott looks up, but its too late. She's already puled out her bag and started rummaging through it like nothing had happened. "Uh-huh, in your imagination."
"I'm not imagining it dude," Stiles insists, "She is tormenting me! Did you know she showed up at my house? My dad almost let her in!"
"Oh, no way!" Scott says with faux disbelief. "You only mentioned it like fifteen times over the summer."
Whatever.
It didn't matter what Scott said, he knew what he saw.
"We're sorry, your call could not be connected."
Beep.
Ring-ring
Ring-ring
Ring-ring
"We're sorry, your call-"
"So, who are you calling?" Lydia questions with a smirk, glancing at her as she opens her locker. "Is it your new secret boyfriend?"
Nat rolls her eyes at the prying girl, already regretting making the calls in her presence. She had just been so consumed by this sudden revelation and wasn't thinking straight enough to leave first. "No - I told you, we're just friends."
"Uh-huh, that's why you were ditching me all summer to hangout with him?" She asks, disbelief colouring her tone.
"They needed my help-"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," she dismisses, "So what's happened? Trouble in paradise?"
"I just - I need to talk to them. Right now. But they're not answering," she rolls her bottom lip between her perfect teeth, pondering how best to handle the situation.
"Hey, don't worry. He's probably just, like, ghosting you or something," the Queen Bee dismisses flippantly.
"Thanks for the compassion, Lyd."
"Any time," She chirps with a teasing smile, but it dims into a pensive expression as she realises her friend was more upset by the situation then she was letting on. Giving her a calculative side eye she suggests lightly, "You know, I could cover for you while you go check on your secret lover... if you're really that worried."
"I told you it's not- wait, you'd really do that for me?" She asks with genuine surprise. It was entirely unnecessary, Nat was well practiced at covering her own tracks, but she was touched the human girl would offer such a thing without prompting.
"Duh. That's best friends are for," she smiles conspiratorially, "Just make sure you're back for practice this afternoon - we need to scope out the fresh meat."
The double meaning sends a flash of amusement within Nat, but Lydia could never understand what was so funny, so she smothers it down. Instead, she gives an accepting nod, departing with a slow human walk.
As soon as she is out of the school, and unseen by the security cameras, she vanishes.
At least, that's how it would appear to human eyes - if anyone had been watching.
There was a new wolf.
It was an unmistakable smell, she was familiar with it after spending so long in Laura's presence. The scent she briefly picked up on her way into school wasn't quite as strong, but Nat could identify it immediately.
If there was a new werewolf then Laura should have told her.
That was their agreement.
Laura would have told her.
So, she was dead; one way or another.
If Laura wasn't dead already then Nat was going to kill her for breaking her trust.
No one got away with crossing her.
As she ran through the woods, following the weak scent of the Alpha, there was another scent that was so much stronger and more threatening. Nat's frustration turned into concern. It was sour and oppressive, vaguely reminiscent of Laura's but nothing like the calm woman. It felt like they had marked their territory and claimed these woods as their own; the comforting smell of Laura was barely detectable beneath it.
This must be a new alpha - that was the only reasonable explanation.
Slowly Nat became something akin to nervous.
Because, if there was a new alpha...
Within minutes of leaving the school she stands in front of the dilapidated home, where the faint smell of the woman was strongest. There was another, stronger sour smell too. Another new wolf? That would make three.
What else had Laura not told her?
Why?
"Laura? I know you're in there!" She declares, hiding her concern beneath anger.
She hears the quick movement emanating from behind the house. It was too brutish and heavy footed to be Laura, it must be the intruder - and they were clearly attempting to sneak up on her.
Fool.
Nat watches as he tries to approach stealthily, if she were human perhaps he would have managed to catch her by suprise.
He soon realises he's been spotted, and immediately halts his approach. The wind blows towards her and confirms her suspicion - this was the third wolf she detected. His black hair with pale skin, wrapped up in a leather jacket, made him look more like a stereotype of her kind and if the situation were not so dire she might find that amusing. He was covered in dirt, and the scent of his sweat was pungent in the air.
Rather than introducing himself, the dark haired wolf jumps straight to the chase. "What are you?"
What, not who.
She wasn't surprised the dark wolf was able to identify her unnatural disposition, Laura had told her she emanated a strange aura - by not emanating one at all.
He raises an eyebrow, clearly awaiting a response.
"Looking for Laura," she answers simply, side-stepping his question.
"Laura's not here," he tells her stoically.
"You're lying," she denies, although she can hear from his steady heart beat.
He says nothing more, simply staring at her with crossed arms.
Evidently, she would not be getting more out of him. He was challenging her to try, but Nat was not in the mood for games. Almost too quick for his wolf eyes, she vanishes and appears at the source of Laura's scent.
The sight that met her was not a pleasant one.
The woman was barely recognisable. Once an Alpha who had been so full of exuberant energy, now she stared with vacant eyes from where half of her lay on the grass beside a deep hole.
Nat felt something stuttering within her, but smothered it before she had the opportunity to analyse it further.
So.
Laura was dead.
The other wolf was near, she could sense him approaching.
Not allowing herself to think on why, Nat quickly removes the bracelet from Laura's cold, stiff wrist. She had never seen the Alpha without it... the loss of it somehow seemed to add to her unnatural appearance and Nat was quick to clamp down on the gaping feeling growing inside of her.
Not wanting to face the impending conversation with this dark wolf, Nat vanishes again just as he arrives.
She runs, and does not think about the destination, but finds herself in front of a familiar large tree trunk.
Unable to hold it back any longer, Nat screams in agony.
This was not how she expected her second year in Beacon Hills to start.
She knew she could not avoid school forever.
Lydia would never hear the end of it if she didn't attend lacrosse practice like she had promised.
Or, perhaps, that's just what Nat was telling herself.
It definitely wasn't because she was feeling lonely. No matter how hard she tried to ignore the ache in her chest, it continued to prod at her insides. Perhaps some normalcy was exactly what she needed.
"Natalie!" Lydia calls her over immediately, "I saved you a seat!"
She's surprised to find another girl sitting beside Lydia, one she had never seen before.
Oh, there was something different about this girl - something unmistakable.
Hunter.
Nat could smell it, after a few generations the scent of all the magical blood spilled clung to them all like a stench. Anyone familiar with it should be able to pick it up easily.
What were the chances - new werewolves and new hunters. If she was lucky, her problems were going to just cancel each other out. Nat would prefer to avoid becoming involved entirely, but Lydia was already waving her over and there was no polite way to back out now.
As she nears, Lydia begins to speak with the hunter, "This is Natalie, my other best friend. We've known since we were seven but she just officially moved here last year. Nat, this is Alison; she just moved from San Francisco."
Well, that was not ideal.
She definitely made a mistake by not being at school to steer Lydia away from the hunter before she could get attached. Now there was no easy way to annul their friendship without suspicion.
"Nice to meet you," the hunter girl smiles nervously, clearly intimidated by the girl with the ridged posture and an intensely thoughtful face.
Nat remembers her manors and gives back her most charming smile; the rehearsed one that put all prey at ease. "Likewise Alison."
"Soo, how did it go with your new boy toy?" Lydia pries as Nat takes the offered seat beside her.
A pang runs through Nat, the hollow stutter returning to poke at her...
The lies flow easily from her lips stoically as she keeps her eyes on the players. "You were right, they were just ghosting me. Just a summer fling. I won't be seeing them again."
Lydia looks startled at the revelation, "Oh, Nat, I'm so sorry," she tells her genuinely. "Well, they're not worth the effort anyway. Let's see if we can scope out a new guy for you today!"
She gives a rehearsed smile at the attempt of kindness from the Queen Bee. In any case, Nat had a more important reason to scope out the players - she was certain the vague stench of the new pup was emanating from the field.
Perhaps that would get her mind off of... everything.
"Who is that?" The hunter girl wonders.
Both the other girls follow her line of sight to player number eleven.
Lydia tilts her head as she inspects the boy, "Him? I'm not sure who he is..."
The boy in question slowly tilts his head in their direction... almost as if he could hear them.
Curious.
"Scott McCall," Nat informs them both easily, and they look to her with surprise.
"Why do you know that and I don't?" Lydia asks with a raised eyebrow.
Nat smirks at her, "Because you only pay attention to people who make first line."
"Makes sense," she nods, easily accepting the explanation.
Meanwhile the hunter looks a bit frightened, like she might be re-evaluating her choice in friend at the new school. Clearly she hadn't quite realised the extent of Lydia's Queen Bee attitude. Good. Hopefully she would be frightened off quickly.
Lydia turns to the new girl and asks, "Why were you asking?"
"He's in my English class," she dismisses with a shake of her head.
The whistle blows across the field and the boy grips his head as though it had be rung right beside him.
Interesting.
He's so preoccupied with cradling his face that the first ball hits him right in the face.
A spark of satisfaction erupted in Nat from the stands. Relishing in the pain of others was a great distraction. It was half the reason she chose to join Lydia in the stands - just to watch people get hit and enjoy the display of brutality. She would not partake, but she could appreciate the violence.
He manages to catch the next ball with ease, startling everyone with his unexpected show of skill. A warning shiver tingles down her spine. That had looked too easy for the unathletic boy. She hears Stiles celebrate as throw after throw is caught by the other boy, without him even breaking a sweat.
"He seems like he's pretty good," the hunter girl notes with a smile
"Yeah, very good," Lydia responds with surprise.
"Guess he was practicing over the summer," Nat murmurs with intrigue, knowing that was not a reasonable explanation for this sudden change in aptitude.
Captain Jerk Jackson, clearly feeling threatened by the unusual show of expertise, cuts to the front of the line so he can test out the capabilities of this sudden apparent star player. He approaches with all his might and throws the ball at the other boy.
Who catches it flawlessly.
Stiles cries of joy could be heard even without her advanced senses, and Lydia raises from her seat to clap enthusiastically. A combative exchange is shared between the Queen Bee and Lacrosse Captain - as Jackson glares and Lydia gives a smirk to remind him that his position as number one in her life was entirely replaceable - but it goes unnoticed by Nat. She finds all her attention taken by the unexpectedly advanced player on the field.
He had now become her number one candidate for whom the scent of fresh pup was attached.
It was hard to pin point who it was, given how inextricably the scents mingled to her from this distance, but this display had all but confirmed her suspicion.
The woods did not feel as inviting as they had mere weeks ago. That oppressive scent still lingered in the air like a warning. It put the Nat on edge, but she refuses to run.
This was too important.
She sits before a makeshift alter, head bowed in respect as the candle slowly burns in front of her. It was set up within the large old tree trunk, and held the leather strap from a bracelet, as Nat had no photographs to display in honor of the young Alpha. She kept the pendant, determined to re-fashion it into a keepsake.
The faint crackling of the wick was the center of her focus as she meditated on the many revelations of this horrid day.
But then - a distant noise draws her attention.
Footsteps.
She vanishes into a nearby tree, internally wincing at her carelessness - a twig had snapped beneath her steps in her haste.
As expected, a wolf soon comes hurtling through the area. No doubt he was chasing the source of the noise, the stupid mutts had far better hearing than her. Luckily she had been more careful in her climb and the mutt was at a loss of how to pursue its prey.
What to do... what to do... it doesn't seem like the creature will be leaving any time soon...
Uncertain, and curious if she could manage it, Nat makes her way to the forest floor. She is careful to be soundless in her descent, an easy feat when she is taking her time.
She has the benefit of speed and stealth, but this wolf has brute strength on its side.
Nat would need to take it by surprise.
Finding a suitable rock, she carefully scales up the tree again for an added advantage. Wasting no time, she launches it at the back of the unsuspecting wolf's head.
Who drops to the ground like a tone of bricks.
Her tense muscles relax as relief and satisfaction float through her - Nat honestly wasn't sure if that was going to work.
In their unconscious state, the wolf slowly transforms back to their human form - a seemingly young boy in nothing but his boxer shorts. Unable to abate her curiosity, Nat approaches.
It shouldn't come as a surprise, yet she feels a jolt as she recognises the sleeping face.
Not a wolf at all, just a pup.
Quickly and quietly she leaves the forest, deciding that perhaps it was best not to stray too deep into the woods.
After all there were monsters in there.
Ones that were worse than her.
So, she had finally located the new wolf pup.
Scott McCall.
Only sixteen years old.
Unfortunately, he also happened to be the best friend of Stiles Stilinski.
It really shouldn't have been a surprise, after all she had first caught a whiff of the wolf's sour scent when she had walked past them yesterday.
Now, in all likelihood, her skeptical believer was going to get his throat ripped out - and not in the fun way (by her)!
No.
That was not happening.
She was too invested in this game of cat and mouse they shared, although she had been admittedly lackluster at playing her part as of late. But, now, without... adequate distraction, she amends mentally, fiddling with her new bracelet... she was all too eager to return to tormenting him, and she would not be giving that up just because this new Alpha had infected his best friend. Stiles was far too entertaining to leave to such a boring fate.
Whether they new it yet or not, the pup was undergoing a change that would alter the path of both their lives forever.
The real question was: did either of them realise what was happening?
Perhaps she should leave them a clue...
"Scott!" Stiles calls desperately in a high pitched voice, immediately attracting all her attention.
Nat keenly watches the exchange unfolding from her position beside the Queen Bee on the bleachers.
In a more even voice, Stiles demands, "Scott, wait up!" He fumbles over himself as he tries to get the pups attention.
"What's up with him?" Lydia asks quietly with a judgemental sneer.
Nat ignores her, too eager to hear what the boys have to say. She had already missed Scott's response thanks to her best friends useless comment, curse her weak hearing.
"Just hold on, okay?" Stiles requests urgently. "I overheard my dad on the phone-"
The new pup seems entirely disinterested, so Stiles grabs his shoulder to regain his attention.
"The fiber analysis came back, okay? The fiber analysis came back from the lab in L.A.," he says frantically. "They found animals hairs on the body from the woods!"
"Stiles, I've got to go," the pup dismisses carelessly, shaking him off.
"Wait, no!" Stiles tries to grab his so-called best friend before he can step onto the field but fumbles, "Scott! You're not going to believe what the animal was!" He calls out and then says gravely to himself, "...it was a wolf."
Hm...
Interesting.
So, her little skeptic had figured it out already? Or, at the very least, he was on the right track.
Very interesting.
He certainly knew how to capture her attention, even if his own best friend was brushing him off in favour of his new found athletic prowess. So rarely did humans entertain such thoughts, it was rare to find someone with an open mind like the one Stiles Stilinski displayed...
As expected, the once meek and asthmatic teen dominates on the lacrosse field again, much to Captain Jerk's chagrin. The coach rewards him with a position on first line and everyone celebrates.
Everyone except Stiles.
And that is when she makes her decision.
She will inform Stiles of his friends predicament, or rather confirm his theory. After all, knowledge is power...
and perhaps some part of her still wanted to share that with him.
...No, she just wanted an additional hammer to nail in the coffin of his sanity.
After all, she was trying to break his mental faculties so no one would believe what he had said about her.
He was quick to leave practice that day, not wasting time sitting on the bench while the others played. That was lucky for her, it meant fewer witnesses. She waited until he had changed out of his sports uniform, simply out of curtsy, and followed him to the mostly deserted parking lot. The poor human boy was fumbling with his keys, when she finally takes the opportunity to approach him.
There were a few different ways she could handle this, and she calculates them before the keys in his hand can enter the lock of the car...
If he saw her coming he wouldn't give her a chance to say anything - he'd drive away as quickly as possible. They hadn't actually spoken to each other since before that day in the woods, he had avoided her like the plague once he discovered what she truly was. The only reason she even knew about the things he proclaimed to others was because they would gossip in the halls - he was generally careful to only say it while she wasn't nearby.
So, stealth approach it was.
Decision made, she acts immediately.
Quicker than lightening, Nat appears behind him. His enticing scent makes her falter for just a moment - it had been so long since she was last in such a close vicinity to him. The sweet, innocent scent of his uncorrupted soul slams through her, and she forces herself to stop breathing lest she do something she will certainly regret.
Why did he have to smell so good?
She shakes it off within a millisecond and carefully leans over to whisper in his ear, "You're right, Stiles. He's becoming a wolf."
He jumps instantly (once his slower brain processes what is happening), flailing, and dropping his keys in the process. By the time he spins around, she's already back on the other side of the parking lot. He looks to her with wide eyes, hands still frozen in the air from his reaction. Ever the perfect actress, she pretends to have just noticed him there, offering a half smile and confused wave to accentuate her innocence.
Emotions flickers across his face: surprise, fear, confusion. His heart was hammering in his chest, mouth opening and closing as though he was struggling to comprehend what was happening. Then, his expression hardens into an accusatory glare. He quickly grabs his keys from the ground and slams the car door.
She smirks at the action and watches his blue jeep leave the school grounds, certain he can see her from his rear view mirror.
Nat follows him home, keeping to the shadows as he stops to gather resources from the town library. She only nudges one or two books from the shelf to draw his attention to the reputable texts. The teen had proven to be rather adept at navigating a lot of the myths and truths of her own species, all things considered, so she was curious to hear what exactly his research would uncover about the new vermin in town.
All things considered, Nat knew shockingly little about werewolves. Any information she had was what just had been shared with her by...
She fiddles with her new bracelet, toying with the totem on it...
Stiles was rather quick at the library, soon he was running up the stairs to his room at home.
Unfortunately, her best asset was limited - she wasn't able to watch him anymore. The clever teenager had all of his blinds closed, if she wanted to see what was happening inside she would need to move closer, and risk being spotted by him.
She's uncertain when he began this habit, because it had been far too long since she bothered to torment him. When she had last been there before the summer break this hadn't been the case...
Laura had kept her far too occupied.
The quick thought sends a pang through her and if she were more careless her new bracelet would have snapped under her grip. Fortunately, she had more self control than that.
Still, to release stress and help distract herself she throws a rock at a tree outside the boys window just to relish in the way she hears him jump at the noise. He doesn't disappoint, and then turns on music so such a tactic may not work again.
She chuckles lowly and rests back on the tree branch, content to swing her leg and watch the world unfolding around her while listening to his quiet murmurs beneath the synthetic beats, as he investigates all the different myths surrounding 'werewolves'. It took more concentration to pick up on his soft voice, but that was good.
It stopped her mind from wandering.
He spends hours consumed by research.
The sun begins to set, and a few hours pass before the sheriff arrives home. It's only then that Stiles detaches himself from his computer to make them both dinner, but he takes it to his room and leaves his father to eat alone in the living room.
Nat was unconcerned about the time. She had long since convinced Lydia and her mother to let her come and go as she pleases without anything seeming noteworthy. As far as they were concerned she was often home somewhere, and of someone came searching and couldn't find her, she was just at the library studying, but should be back soon.
It was convenient to have an alibi ready in case anything went awry.
As the night wears on she hears him popping pills and the frequency makes her grimace. Surely he was not meant to be taking them that frequently. As a licensed practitioner, although that was decades ago, it makes her grimace.
Doesn't he understand the kind of long term side effects something like that can have? His medicine would stop working, or at the very least he would need to switch to a higher dose which would come with a higher price and medicine was not cheap in this country!
...not that it was any of her concern.
She was just bored of the tedium of sitting here.
That must be why she was delving into such thoughts.
They spend the entirety of Friday like this.
Him, researching diligently and unknowingly muttering out anything he found of particular interest.
It's a school day, but Nat is unconcerned, she already had Lydia's mother prepared to explain away any instances she skipped school. Part of her does wonder how Stiles is planning to get away with his truancy - he probably didn't even realise how much time he had spent in his room.
That's made clear when he suddenly curses before calling Scott and urgently demanding the pup come over to see him.
Its a few hours later when he finally arrives at his best friends house. She rolls her eyes at the lackadaisical attitude of the pup.
She throws another pebble, this one at the windowsill of Stiles' bedroom, just to inform him of the impending arrival of his friend. Yes, definitely for altruistic reasons and not only to hear him squirm.
The pup pauses on the staircase, presumably because he heard the odd noise, but he brushes it off and knocks loudly on his friends door
Stiles jumps again and she hears him hesitate, chair squeaking as he rocks on it. Then the soft sound of his laptop closing followed by the patter of footsteps towards his bedroom door. He clears his throat before opening the door and releases an exasperated sigh as he demands for the pup to "Get in."
She hears them both enter the room, one frantic while the other almost strolls casually.
"You've got to see this dude, I've been up all night," he explains as their footsteps indicate they're making their way towards his desk. "Reading websites, books! All this information-"
"How much adderal have you had today?" The new wolf asks with a smile she can hear.
There's a pause, as if the boy is thinking. "A lot? Doesn't matter," he dismisses.
So that's what he had been taking. It makes her frown. It's concerning to think the sixteen year old might be abusing his prescription.
Not that she actually cares, it's just an old habit to display concern in her line of work.
"Okay, just listen-" he starts, the squeaking of his chair indicating he's now sitting in it and rolling closer to his friend.
The new pup interrupts, "Oh, is this about the body? Did they find out who did it?" She hears a soft thud, presumably his bag, and the bed creak under his weight.
"No, they're still questioning people - even Derek Hale," he tells the new wolf quickly.
Derek... Hale? That must be the dark wolf's name... No wonder he had been so protective...
"Oh, the guy in the woods that we saw the other day?" The pup essentially expositions causally. She's grateful he feels the need to say it aloud as it offers her clarity.
Paper crinkles and she can just imagine Stiles flailing his arms around, the mental image sparking something akin to amusement within her. "Yes, yes! But that's not it! Okay?"
The new pup gives a soft awkward laugh, "What then?"
"Remember the joke from the other day?" Stiles asks in a shaky voice, before finishing somberly, "...Not a joke anymore."
There's a silence as the pup processes what his best friend is telling him.
"The wolf, the bite in the woods!" He explains, "Nat told me, so I started doing all this research-"
The sound of her name rolling so causally from the human boys tongue sends a sharp thrill down her spine.
"Wait - Natalie McCarthy?" The new wolf asks with clear confusion.
Stiles is throw out of his adderal induced rant and confirms awkwardly, "Uh, yeah."
"The girl you've been avoiding for months?"
"Yes!" He bites out, foot tapping with anxiety as he realises how off topic they've gotten.
"Why would she do that?" The New Wolf asks skeptically.
"I don't- That's not the point Scott!" He cuts his best friend off urgently, chair rolling back and more paper crinkles as he undoubtedly gets to his feet and waves his arms to demonstrate his frustration, "Do you even know why a wolf howls?"
"Should I?" The pup asks cluelessly.
Nat sighs and rolls her eyes, leaning back to take in the conversation now that they had moved back to the topic at hand. It wasn't surprising that the teenager wouldn't know this, considering there were no wolves in the area.
"It's a signal, o-okay? When a wolves alone it howls to signal its location to the rest of the pack! So if you heard a wolf howling i-i-that means others could have been nearby, maybe even a whole pack of them," Stiles tries to explain.
"A whole pack of wolves?" The pup asks with interest colouring his tone.
"No, werewolves," Stiles tells him honestly.
Nat stills, waiting to hear how this would play out. Not many mortals were as open minded as her little skeptic and she doubted it was going to go well.
There's a moment of silence that is broken by a harsh, "Are you seriously wasting my time with this? You know I'm picking up Alison in an hour."
The sound of the bed creaking and bag being lifted makes it clear that the pup is leaving, but Stiles must do something to stop him because he says emphatically, "I saw you on the field yesterday Scott, okay? What you did wasn't just amazing i-i-it was impossible," Stiles explains with a breathy scoff.
"Yeah, so I made a good shot," the pup tries to deflect, but its clear even he doesn't quite believe that.
She hears the sound of flesh on flesh, given the lack of stumbling she could only assume that Stiles had tried to push the pup to get him to see reason.
An incredibly foolish idea.
This was not going to end well.
Nat creeps closer to the window silently, as though she could do anything to help the situation. Without an invitation she wouldn't be able to enter their enclosed area. At least she had a better view from here. And, if it came to it, she knew she could throw a rock hard enough to knock the pup unconscious.
Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
"No, you made an incredible shot!" Stiles exclaims as he snatches the bag and throws it on the bed. "I mean, the way you moved, your speed, your reflexes?! You know, people can't just suddenly do that overnight? And then there's the vision, and the senses, and don't think I haven't noticed that you don't need your inhaler anymore!" He lists frantically, pointing an accusatory finger at his best friend.
"Okay! Dude, I can't think about this right now," the pup exclaims. "We'll talk tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" Stiles yells incredulously, "What? No! The full moons tonight! Don't you get it?"
"What are you trying to do?! I just made first line, I-I got a date with a girl who I can't believe wants to go out with me and everything in my life is somehow perfect - why are you trying to ruin it?" He demands aggressively.
It puts her further on edge, this human boy had no idea what he was getting himself into. Confronting a new wolf the day of their first full moon? He had done so much research, held so much knowledge, and yet was being so careless.
Why?
"I'm trying to help," Stiles defends quietly. In the most morose tone she had ever herd from the exuberant boy, he claims, "You're cursed Scott."
There's another moment of silence as his words sink in.
"And-and it's not just that the moon will cause you to physically change, it also just so happens to be when your blood lust will be at its peak," he says seriously.
"Blood lust," the pup repeats in a flat tone.
"Yeah, you're urge to kill," Stiles explains awkwardly.
"I'm already starting to feel an urge to kill Stiles," the pup warns him, with no hint of joviality.
A low growl escapes her throat before she can stop it. It was too low for human ears, but unfortunately for her they were not both human. Nat quickly presses herself against the wall so they wouldn't see her, unfortunately loosing her ability to see their interaction
The pup stills and asks quietly, "What was that?"
"What? Wh-what was what?" Stiles stutters and she can hear the chair squeak as he swivels around to try and look where Scott was undoubtedly staring.
"...nothing," he dismisses after a second.
Stiles ruffles through some papers on his desk, as if just remembering they were there. "Okay, well, you've got to hear this: 'The change can be caused by anger or anything that raises your pulse.' Alright?" A book slams shut. "I haven't seen anyone raise your pulse like Alison does, you've got to cancel this date."
Urgent footsteps and the sound of zippers - she could only assume he was looking through the pup's bag.
"You gotta call her right now!"
"What are you doing?" The pup asks with resignation in his tone.
"I'm cancelling the date," Stiles paces around the room, unknowingly moving closer to the window she was perched beside.
"No, give it to me!" He suddenly yells and she hears a body slam up against the wall of the room, right where she was. The quick action almost makes her loose her footing, but she was too sure of herself for that.
Just as she feared, things had progressed to the physical level.
Shifting slightly, she could see through the crack in the blinds. The pup had his fist raised towards his best friend, and they were both panting heavily. His arm trembles and she wonders how she could interfere with the alternation before it went any further. If she made her presence known there was a high likelihood the pup would disregard the innocent human in favour of chasing her, and she could easily out run it...
Fortunately, it doesn't come to the as the pup redirects his anger to the chair that Stiles had been sitting in earlier. She hears the fabric tear as it clutters to the floor.
The two teenagers assess each other for a moment, still breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry," the pup apologises after a few deep breaths, and it is more than she expected from him.
Honestly at this point, she thought he would be trying to rip Stiles' throat out.
Stiles doesn't say anything, probably still in shock from what he had just been put through.
"I-I've got to go get ready," he stutters, backing away slowly, "for the party."
The innocent boy still doesn't move, pressing against the wall for support, unknowing that she was on the other side of it. His pulse was racing as he remained entirely still.
The pup walks to the door but stops to apologise again before leaving. It's only when the door finally closes that she hears her skeptic put the back of his head against the wall softly, then push off of it with a sniffle.
She wishes she could offer him some comfort, let him know that he was not facing this madness alone, but it's highly doubtful that he would be happy to see her outside his residence.
Besides, she wasn't here to help.
She was only here to gather information.
She watches as he picks up the desk chair, seeing the definitive claw marks that confirm every haunting suspicion he has.
Doubtful he would be very productive in his research, Nat decides this is probably as good a time as any for her to leave.
Lydia was not happy.
From her perspective, Nat had the entire day to prepare for the party. She had been expecting to arrive home to find everything set up perfectly, yet nothing had been done.
The fact that Nat had turned her phone off, and did not arrive until the sun was about to set, was definitely not helping matter either
"And what time do you call this?" She demands immediately.
"Sorry Lyd, I got distracted at the library," Nat dismisses.
The human girl stomps her foot petulantly, "The library?! You chose spending the day at the library over staying home to help me set up? I could used your freakish height to get the lights up!"
The weak attempt at an insult rolls off her easily, Lydia liked to tease at perceived insecurities when she was annoyed. She'd been using that as ammunition ever since they had played dress up soon after her parents divorced. She had demanded her best friend wear heels and noticed just how tall Nat was compared to the fifteen year old Lydia.
One day, too soon, Lydia was going to be taller than Nat - even in heels.
"You're lucky Jackson and Danny came early to help," the Queen bee says threateningly.
"I'll have to thank them later," Nat replies, just to appease her.
"Yes. You will," Lydia shoots back. "But for now, you can go help Danny make the punch."
With a hasty nod, that was mostly for show, Nat slowly hurries to the kitchen where Danny was already in the process of cutting up some fruit.
He offers her a simple greeting with a small smile, but doesn't sat anything more. Most sixteen year olds would undoubtedly be pressing her for information about why she had been absent from school, or at least want to discuss Lydia's berating of her (which he had definitely heard).
But, Danny wasn't like that.
He didn't pry into matters that did not concern him, and Nat liked that. It was probably why they seemed to get along so well. He was quite mature for his age.
Together they make quick work of the punch, with Nat offering to chop the fruit (lest Danny slip and cause a bloody accident) leaving Danny to mix the punch itself (because he was one who could actually taste it).
Their harmonious productivity is shattered when the Queen Bee enters the room. "Okay, good work," she praises, but quickly amends, "it's acceptable I guess.'
"Thanks, Lyd." She shares a look with Danny and rolls her eyes playfully while he chuckles under his breath.
The other girl clearly notices the exchange, judging by the way she places her hands on her hips, but chooses to ignore it. "Now go get dressed! Our guests will be arriving soon. I've already played out an outfit for you."
Oh good, no doubt it would be heinously revealing. Lydia way of helping her to get over her 'summer fling'.
It was her way of showing that she cares, and Nat had worn far worse anyway.
A party of rowdy teens was not exactly Nat's idea of a good time.
Well, not anymore.
Combined with the full moon, a new pup, a new wolf, a new Alpha and what happen to- she fiddles with her bracelet...
Nat was not having a good time.
It was suffocating indoors with everyone pressed against each other, so she stepped outside to try to enjoy some peace and quiet alone. A decision she immediately regretted when she was approached.
"What are you doing here?" The dark wolf demands lowly.
She quickly dropped her arms and hid them behind her back. She would deny it would deny it if anyone asked, but Nat honestly didn't realise he was there. With her being lost in thought, the noise from the party and the smell of the fire - he had managed to sneak up on her.
Nat did not like that, and she did not like him. "I could ask you the same question."
"Why did you take my sisters bracelet?" He asks with a scowl. He must have been watching her for a while because Nat would have moved to fast for him to see it.
The thought unsettled her, and she juts out her chin in defiance. "None of your business."
He watches her for a moment, assessing her, before he threatens, "I've heard flames work quite well on your kind. Should we test that theory?"
Ah. He must have done his research as well then. Seeing no reason to hide them now, Nat crosses her arms to show her displeasure. "You'd have to catch me first."
He's ready to reply, but the light from the flickers flames bounces from the totem on her bracelet, and he seems to reassess the situation. "I didn't come here to threaten you."
With an arched brow she replies, "Then why are you here?"
"There's a boy here... I need you to keep an eye on him for me." The request is uttered with extreme reluctance
Amusement bursts through her so hard it almost escapes into a laugh. The audacity of this dark wolf had to be appreciated, it was quite extraordinary. "Why the hell would I do that?"
He finally looks into her eyes. "Why would you take Laura's bracelet?" He repeats.
She scoffs, covering the crushing impact of that name.
The dark wolf watches in silence, completely mobile save for the steady rise and fall of his chest.
"I'll think about it."
They're both surprised by the answer, but Nat leaves before he can respond.
If she was going to play baby sitter to a new wolf pup, then she was going to need all the strength she could get. Bunnies and blood bags weren't going to cover it anymore.
She expertly manoeuvres through the house, sticking to the edges of the crowd to avoid any human contact. This was the first and final time she was ever going to risk exposing her skin, it was definitely not worth the hassle - even to appease the Queen Bee.
From her outsiders perspective, she was able to easily scan the room for suitable prey. She needed someone she knew was no innocent, and preferably rude, just because... That shouldn't be too hard to find in a place like this.
"...Natalie McCarthy, where would I be?"
The muttering of her false name makes her pause, and she immediately identifies the voice. It was the exact one she had been listening to for god knows how long.
Stiles Stilinski.
"Come on, Stiles, you just faced down a freaking werewolf. You got this. It's fine, so fine," he mumbles quietly as he pushes through the crowd. His sarcastic tone conveys his own disbelief and its incredibly endearing to hear his attempt to hype himself up. "Just need to find her and ask her what the hell is going on with Scott - and oh, hey, while we're at it, have you been deliberately trying to torment me? Because I'd really like it if you could please not? Yeah. That'll definitely work. This is totally fine. I can do this. Easy. No problem. Tot-al-ly..."
He drags the word out then goes quiet suddenly, voice trailing off. She can't help but wonder why and automatically glances at him to see what had him distracted. Only to find him staring straight back at her with wide eyes. He gulps, the sound almost ringing in her ears above the loud music, and it sends a thrill through her.
Oh, if only she had more time. She would absolutely love to lead this innocent up to her room and relish in him coming undone beneath her her practiced fingers. His tantalising scent becoming nothing more than an ordinary dull haze as he willingly partakes in sinful debauchery and becomes another mindless drone.
But, that would have to wait.
She wants to take her time with this little pet project, and wouldn't allow it to be a rushed endeavour simply to reaffirm her strength on the night of the full moon.
Instead, she forces her gaze to wander away from the innocent boy who was still motionless gaping at her. She catches a glimpse of a glistening flask being brought near the punch Danny had worked on so hard on, and her new target is found.
Disregarding the innocent boy for now, but painfully aware of his eyes following her, Nat approaches the punch table.
It was far too easy to gain the horrid boy's attention. A little sway in her hips and he was too distracted to even try spiking the punch. The poor sod actually thought he was being smooth when he offered her a sip, and she took it easily, knocking it back with precision and draining the entire contents. For emphasis she licked her lips afterwards and tried to ignore the lecherous, predatory look in his eyes.
God, they say her kind was bad.
How could you allow people like this?
He tries to grab her, but Nat steps playfully out of his reach, with awkward footing just for dramatic effect. She suggests they find somewhere to be alone and is he all too eager.
Fresh blood was fresh blood, no matter how despicable the source.
But her plan is interrupted when a sour scent overwhelms her senses. She sees the new pup pushing his was through the crowd, stumbling like a new born doe. The hunter girl is quick to follow behind him and they both leave the party without so much as a goodbye.
No time for a snack then, this was happening now.
Regaining her footing she tells the sleaze ball she's no longer interested, but he blocks her way with indignation.
Not wanting to make a scene, and needing this over with quickly, she decides to take the easy route. "Another girl caught your eye, and you decided to chase after her instead," she convinces him. A sharp pang runs through her so, just for fun, she adds, "But you can't take things to a sexual level. No matter what you do - you won't get hard."
The sleaze murmurs back lowly, "Another girl caught my eye. I'm going to chase after her instead, but I still won't get hard..." he shakes his head and quickly dismisses her, making his leave to follow another random party goer.
What a douchebag.
She wastes no time, and makes to follow the pup and his plaything, but hears an unmistakable voice murmur, "What the hell was that?"
She hears curses her luck, of freaking course he saw that, but she has no time to dwell on it. Potentially psychotic pup on the loose, being followed a future hunter.
Her game of cat and mouse would have to wait, there were higher stakes right now.
When she finally makes it outside, the pup is long gone and hunter girl stands in the driveway with the dark wolf.
Nat could walk away now, avoid all this drama. The idea is incredibly tempting, but when she sees them both turn towards a car, she gets a far better idea.
"Alison? Are you okay?" Nat asks with heavy empathy, making her presence known.
The hunter girl is obviously grateful to see her, but the dark wolf scowls. He had clearly not anticipated her arrival, probably assumed she wouldn't care enough to interfere in whatever he had planned.
"Uh, yeah," she stutters, "I'm fine."
Nat frowns gently, "Are you sure? I saw Scott driving off - he was your lift, wasn't he?"
The poor human girl nods, "Yeah, but, uh, he asked his friend Derek to give me a lift. Don't worry Natalie, go enjoy the party."
"I won't be able to enjoy it if I know you're being driven home by a practical stranger," Nat informs her stubbornly, using her unnatural charm to soften her demeanour and make her acting more believable. "Let me give you a ride."
"No, really, you don't-" She tries to deny.
"I insist."
Derek, who had watched the exchange closely, decides now would be the best time to interrupt, "Are you even sober?"
Nat doesn't even blink before replying, "I don't drink."
"Well, do you have a car?" he throws another problem at her.
"No, but Lydia's mom left me her keys so I'll just have to run in and grab them... unless you're offering?"
He sighs, clearly hearing her hidden meaning. If he was expecting her help, he needed to make a gesture of good faith.
It seems they were both full of surprises tonight, because he gently throws her the keys - an act purely displayed for the hunter girl.
"You better return it in the same condition it left." He threatens, and she can tell it extends to more than just his car.
She flashes him a smile, keeping it innocent for the benefit of the hunter girl. "No promises."
He remains stoic in the face of her teasing humour, and Nat senses he is already questioning his decision to put such faith in someone of her kind...
Too bad, it was already too late for him to take it back.
As soon as they get in the car the hunter girl buckles up and turns to her, "Do you know that guy?"
"Oh, not really," Nat informs her breezily as she pulls on her own seat belt for the sake of appearances, "I knew his sister though."
The past tense doesn't slip past her, "'knew'?"
She's glad to be driving as it gave her an reason to not meet the hunter girl's eyes as she informs her succinctly, "Yeah."
"Oh my God," she breathes out with shock, connecting the dots. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks," Nat says deceitfully, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "I didn't really know her that well, but she seemed... nice."
The car ride is quiet for a moment as they continue their journey to the hunter's home.
"I can't believe Scott just left you like that," Nat gossips, knowing full well that the other girl was expecting her to bring it up.
The hunter girl sighs and laments, "I don't know what happened. One second we were dancing and everything was fine and then he just... ran out of there. Do you think he's okay?"
Nat scoffs, playing into her role of a vapid high-school girl. "He probably just doesn't know how to handle being with a girl like you. Honestly, you deserve better than that."
"I'm worried about him though - what if something was really wrong?" This girl was too sweet, it was going to make things difficult for her when she joined the family business.
"Don't. If you want my advice, just dump him now. If he's doing this on the first date then it's a major red flag that things are going to go well between you two."
"I don't know," she mutters, clearly unconvinced, "I think I want to give him a chance to make it up to me."
Please don't. "It's your decision, just don't feel like you need to rush into anything. Everything's still new, and you don't want to get tied down to the wrong guy. Either way, he better have a phenomenal excuse for ditching you tonight," which he definitely wouldn't; he was still too young and inexperienced to cover his tracks properly. It was honestly in everyone's best interest that the pup end whatever was between him and the future hunter.
The hunter girl looks to her with bright eyes, "Thanks Natalie. You know, I was kind of intimidated by you at first but you're really sweet. I hope we can be friends."
"Me too," Nat lies through her perfect teeth as they pull up in front of the hunter's house.
As she unbuckles, she turns to her and asks with a smile. "Do you want to come inside? My parents would love to meet one of my new friends."
And there it was. The real reason behind this trip that made it all worth the hassle.
Nat fights a predatory grin and instead gives a soft smile overflowing with false concern. "Thanks for the offer, but I better get back and see how the house is holding up at the party. Some other time, yeah?"
"Oh, okay," the hunter girl accepts with palpable disappointment. She gets out of the car and shuts the door gently, "I'll see you at school then?"
"Yeah, of course."
Finally, she goes inside the house and Nat feels like she can breathe.
The hunter girl had left her jacket in the car, but there was no way Nat was about to call her back.
She had more than enough socialising for one evening.
When she removes her hands from the wheel to touch the jacket, there are sharp indents from her fingers.
Whoops.
Oh well, he should be thankful she didn't rip the girls throat out.
It was exhausting pretending to be every bit the naive social teenage girl that she was expected to be, but necessary. Nat needed to stay on relatively friendly terms with the hunters to avoid suspicion.
And now, if all else did fail, she could always come back here and murder each and every single one of them.
No survivors.
She had learnt that from experience.
Stiles had never been so glad to see the sun rise.
It had been an awful night, between trying to keep an eye on Scott, trying to find Natalie McCarthy and seeing whatever weird thing happened between her and Travis Parker at the party, then having to find Scott and make sure he was okay, Then, Having to go check on Alison to make sure she was okay. Then spending all night driving around looking for Scott who was actually a freaking werewolf.
Stiles was thoroughly exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to drop Scott home and get to bed.
"Stiles..." Scott starts hesitantly, "There's something I need to tell you."
"About what?"
"Somethings wrong with Natalie."
Stiles slaps the car wheel and proclaims enthusiastically , "Thank you! I am so not crazy!" Then his sleep deprived brain processes the implications of what his friend just said were, and he quickly looks between him and the road. "...wait, seriously?!"
"Yeah, she smells... weird." He places empahsis on the last word, which does not slip past Stiles.
"Weird?" He questions immediately, "Weird how?"
"Like... nothing. I don't smell anything from her, a-and I can't hear her either. At the party - her steps were just... silent."
"You noticed all that?" Stiles asks skeptically
Scott nods, "It was hard not to. Like everyone around was flashing all these signals and she just... didn't."
"Oh great! That's great - really. So you're saying she's just like a void to your senses? She's totally invisible other than sight?" He asks with wide eyes.
"Yeah, it's really unsettling," a thoughtful frown plays at the corner of Scott's lips.
"Are- are you sure?" He feels the need to confirm, almost vibrating with tension and excitement that somebody actually believed him. "Because, I mean, the party was loud - maybe you just couldn't hear above the noise!"
"No, I'm sure," Scott says defends, "I thought you'd be happy about this - you were right"
"Happy?! That I'm right - about there being a-a vampire in our school? Oh yeah, why wouldn't I be happy about that?!" He sarcastically comments.
"No one said vampire," his friend points out.
"I said vampire!"
The car is quiet as the reality of the situation begins to settle in for the two sixteen year olds.
"So, what are we going to do?" Scott asks forlornly.
Stiles sighs in defeat, "What can we do?"
There's silence for a moment.
Then he suggests, "Just... don't invite her inside I guess."
Dun, dun, Dunnn! Dramatic ending!
What do you think? I'm walking the fine line between her caring but also convincing herself she doesn't hahah
How well is that coming across?
Are the italics too annoying? I'm trying to show how flat her tone is by making everyone else stress their words more. We'll see how long I keep that up - as she evolves it will probably be less common...
I'm not really sure where I'm going with this story, but I'm enjoying it! Hope you are too!