Howling to the Heart || Isaac Lahey

35.

"This is so weird," I laughed, sitting next to Stiles on the stairs at school.

"Tell me about it," Stiles groaned, throwing his hands up. "The whole situation feels awkward."

"Just do it, please," Scott begged, with puppy dog eyes.

Stiles sighed, flipping him off. "I hate you for this," he mumbled and then shook his head. "I'm so sorry about the other day," he started repeating Allison's message for Scott since they can't text or even be seen in public together. "I'm trying. We'll get through this. Uh, I know, because I love you." I started laughing again as Scott smiled. "I love you more than—Oh, my God!" Stiles threw up his hand, looking away from Scott. "I can't—You and Allison just have to find a better way to communicate."

"Come on!" Scott begged him. "You're the only one that we can trust. Is she coming to the game tonight?"

"Yes, okay? Message complete," Stiles said and then pointed a finger at me. "Why the hell can't Riah do it?"

"Because I refused," I said simply, shrugging my shoulders at his annoyed look.

"Sometimes I wish I was a werewolf so I could just say no to whatever the hell I wanted," he grumbled and then turned back to Scott. "Now tell us about your boss."

Scott looked around, before facing us. "Uh, he thinks that Allison's family keeps some kind of, uh, records of all the things that they've hunted," he informed us quietly. "Like a book."

Stiles clapped his hands together once. "He probably means a bestiary."

"What?" Scott asked, looking confused.

"A bestiary," Stiles repeated.

Scott laughed, shaking his head. "I think you mean bestiality."

Stiles clenched his jaw, looking at me. "How the hell has he survived this long?" he rhetorically asked and then looked back to Scott as I giggled. "Nope, pretty sure I don't. It's like an encyclopedia of mythical creatures."

Scott gaped at us for a few seconds. "How am I the only one that doesn't seem to know anything about this stuff?"

"A great question," I sassed, leaning back on the step behind me. "My father did a wonderful job at his choosing of werewolves."

"Okay, you know, you're my best friend," Stiles started to Scott, "you're a creature of the night, it's kind of like a priority of mine."

"Okay." Scott nodded. "If we can find it, and it can tell us what this thing is—"

"And who," I cut in and they both nodded, looking at me.

"We need that book," we all said at the same time.

"Let's go find Allison, again," Stiles groaned, standing up and pulling me with him. "If I'm stuck on this messenger thing, then so are you."

"Kill me now," I groaned, allowing Stiles to pull me through the school.

The cold air brushed against my skin when we walked outside, and I kept closer to Stiles' realizing his flannel I stole this morning was not enough to keep me warm.

"I've got another question," Stiles started, stopping us in front of Allison, who for some reason, was outside in the cold. "Your family might have a bestiary and we need it. Like now.

Allison smiled, holding back a laugh. "I think you mean—"

"No, I mean bestiary," Stiles cut her off. "And the two of you, I don't wanna know what's going on in your heads."

Allison sent me an awkward smile and I snorted. "Okay, um, can you describe this thing?"

"It's probably like a book," I answered for Stiles. "Old, worn—"