Howling to the Heart || Isaac Lahey

80.

"I can't believe we're breaking into a house while your dad distracts the father," Neriah whispered to Stiles the next day.

The two werewolves had agreed to give Mr. Stilinski a hand, which was how the three of them found themselves sneaking across a back porch of a house in the wooded area just outside of Beacon Hills.

"Neither can I," Stiles whispered back, stopping at the glass back door.

The door slightly creaked when Stiles pushed it open, making him pause with a cringe. Neriah was fight anxiety in her body, dreading the sound as he tried to push it open again and Scott rubbed his face.

Stiles quickly shoved it open and the three of them silently, on tippy toes, ran into the room where he closed the door behind them with a creak.

"We gotta hurry this—" but Stiles was already on it, throwing teddy bears at the werewolves who caught them, quickly sniffing to only find barely a scent of anything but an animal. "All I'm getting is some animal smell."

"What kind of animal?" Stiles asked, rushing behind them but they all froze at the sound of a growl.

"Dog," Neriah whispered, staring at the snarling rottweiler watching them.

"Hi, puppy," Stiles cooed. "Get rid of it," he added with a whisper.

"Us?" Neriah whispered, keeping her eyes locked in the dog.

"Yes, you two. Glow your eyes at it, something, be the alpha."

"I'm barely an alpha," Neriah shot back, debating on running out the door behind her at that very second or not.

"I don't have control," Scott whispered.

Stiles took in a deep breath, very slowly grabbing Neriah's arm. "Okay, guys, you're going to have to try something."

Scott and Neriah sent him an annoyed look before the true alpha slowly raised a hand in front of himself, taking one step forward. "Nice doggy..." he said and both Neriah and Stiles softly groaned.

The dog started barking, taking a step toward them and they jumped, taking a step back.

"Apollo!" a male's voice shouted from the other end of the house. "Apollo, shut up! Shut the hell up!"

Neriah released a sigh, watching the dog turn around and run back down the hallway to its owner.

"This anxiety is gonna make me throw up," Neriah muttered as Stiles ran over to a desk.

"Here," Stiles said, holding a book up. "Try that." Scott took the book but didn't sniff it as Stiles continued looking around the desk. "Anything?"

Neriah and Scott gravely shook their heads. "All we're getting is that dog," she said.

Stiles sighed, but then he pulled out his phone, taking a photo on his phone of a printed-out photo on the desk where two young girls sat next to each other with smiles.

"Can we go now?" Neriah asked, already heading for the door and hearing them follow her.

Ten minutes later, Stiles parked the jeep behind his dad's police car on a deserted road. They quickly got out, walking toward the awaiting Sheriff.

"I'm sorry," Scott was quick to apologise when they came to a stop. "We tried as hard as we could. If it wasn't so long ago, we might have been able to do it."

"It's okay," Mr. Stilinski sighed. "It was a long shot. In fact, it was a pretty terrible idea. I think I just ripped a wound open in that poor man. I never should have brought you guys here. I don't know what I was thinking." He gave them a small sad smile. "Thanks for trying, all right?"