Gut Instinct (Teen Wolf)

3:30 What Did You Say?

Warnings: dementia, mentions of cheating, transformation, deliberate vagueness, nothing too bad I think

Scott and Lydia were in the library. Scott read the definition off his computer. "'Stile: an arrangement of steps that allows people but not animals, over a fence.'"

"Yeah, somehow I don't think these are the Stiles we're looking for," Lydia said beside him.

"Well we still don't know what you were trying to write on the other side," he said. They had tried turning the light on again, forcing the premonition to return. It hadn't worked. "Maybe Malia's found something."

"No, she's been taking a make up test all morning," Lydia shot down.

Lydia paused, thinking. "Is there any mythology on a bear shapeshifter?" she asked.

Scott furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"The word, grizzly, repeated over and over, maybe it's the name for a supernatural creature." Lydia shrugged, almost uncertain.

Scott opened a new tab and searched 'bear shapeshifter mythology' He clicked on the Wikipedia link. "'The Native Americans believed in bear ancestors, with bears often being able to shed their skin to assume human form, marrying woman in this guise.' It's something."

"It's far fetched and not entirely possible," Lydia said. "So, just like every other myth in this town."

A coyote howl rang through the library, making everyone look up from their books and screens. Scott and Lydia packed up their stuff quickly. "I guess the test isn't going well," Lydia said.

Scott went to the storage room while Lydia went to check on her mom. He stopped when he saw a gray-brown coyote with bright, electric blue eyes between the shelves. He took a step forward. "Malia, it's okay. You're safe."

In response, Malia growled at him, showed off her fangs. He stepped back. That was a warning.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," he promised. He heard three more heartbeats join him. Lydia, her mom, and the sheriff.

Malia barked out a growl, but it was softer then before.

"I think she's calming down," he said, not looking at the others.

Then, Malia growled louder.

"Maybe you should growl back," the sheriff suggested. Malia barked again, a snarl in the tone. They all took a step back as they saw those sharp fangs on display. "Scott, you're the alpha. Can't you make her a little more docile?"

Scott looked back at Malia in the corner. She growled lightly. He didn't want to. Didn't want to force her into that.

"She's not the problem," Lydia said. "We are. This is her territory. Maybe we need to get out of here."

Scott looked back at the coyote that barked another time. She was cornered, caged. She probably felt trapped. But defensive. That spot was where she came for full moons. It made sense she'd come here when she lost control.

"Yeah, come on come on," Scott agreed, ushering them behind the shelf.

"Malia came here to get through the full moons," Lydia said to the adults. "Then we started using the lake house."

"I thought you said a wild animal got into the lakehouse," Natalie said.

"Just be happy of the things I don't tell you," Lydia countered.

Another small snarl came from the corner. They watched as Malia stepped out. Her fur receeded, her snout changed to her normal face. She stood up, her eyes brown, and hair only on her head. And completely naked.