the fall | stiles stilinski

chapter twenty-three

" Hayden...? It's Scott. I know that you're scared, but we just... We want to help." Scott mumbled into the closed door.

"I can hear her heart beating- she's really freaked out. What happened?"

Liam swallowed hard as he glanced between his alpha and the door,

" She was okay when we got here. I went to text you for two seconds and she locked herself in."

"Why?" Stiles asked furrowing his brows.

"I don't know." the younger blonde exasperated.

"She's definitely a Chimera?" Scott asked, feeling hesitant.

"She said she heard a voice saying "Your condition improves...""

"Well, that's unsettling..." Stiles stated as he took his turn at the door, "Hayden? This is Stiles. Your sister works for my dad down at the station? Look, just open the door. You can trust us."

Once again, there was no response as Stiles dramatically there his hands up into a "I surrender" motion and backed away.

"Listen, either you're gonna unlock the door, or I'm gonna have to break it open. It's okay if you don't want to talk, or if you're not ready to believe us. But I just... I gotta know that you're okay in there." Scott tried again in which resulted in zero response.

"You might as well just break the door," Max mumbled from behind the three, "You're two strangers who happen partake in the male species and you just told her that three supernatural doctors are coming to kill her. You really think she's gonna open that door?"

The three of them were slightly startled as they had completely forgotten that Max was even there despite two of them having werewolf senses.

Scott and Stiles silently exchanged a few words with their eyes before turning to Max.

"Maybe you should give it a try." Stiles suggested.

"Why? I'm probably just gonna scare her even more."

"Because like you said we're guys. Chances are, she's bond to trust you more."

Max looked at the two once before letting out a heavy sigh and slumped to the door. 

Truthfully speaking she wasn't a heart to heart type of person and therefore hadn't had the smallest idea as to what to say.

She awkwardly knocked as if expecting a reply as she swallowed the last bit of her so called pride,

"Uh Hayden? Uh it's Max. You don't even know me so I don't know why I told you that- but that's besides the point. Could you just come out so we know you're alive? Like I guess you can just go right back after but just so we can make sure you're alright."

When no response came, Max shot a look at Scott who prodded her to continue.

"I know you're scared..." Max resumed, "I am too. Petrified actually but I've never really admit it until now. I don't know why because it's not something to be ashamed of.  I'm scared about a lot of things. About dying, of getting hurt, of the people I care about getting hurt...It's what makes you mundane. Everything might seem overwhelming right now but you gotta understand that we don't want you to get hurt, alright? Believe me... I'm not letting another kid die, alright? Not this time."

Max's voice cracked at the last part. She still couldn't bring herself to understand why she felt so much remorse for Josh. 

Behind her, Stiles gaped at her with an open mouth. This was the most emotion he'd ever seen from her and for some reason it broke his heart... except he knew his reason,