His Cinnamon

Chapter 26

"Wait, Peter is going out with Scott's mom?" Adeline asks, her eyes widening in shock as they drive down the road in search of them.

"Yeah, he's trying to get Scott to join his pack," Stiles explains, relaying what Scott had told him as they both scan the area through the windows of the car.

"There!" Adeline half-yells. "Hold on, Ads," Stiles says, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.

"Wh—" Adeline's sentence is cut short before she could even get a word out, they slam into the back of the car.

"Stiles, you are so dead," Adeline exclaims, her voice tinged with a mix of shock and exasperation.

Melissa steps out of the passenger side of the car, her expression twisted with pure, unadulterated fury as she looks upon the vehicle that collided with them. "Stiles? Adeline?" She says as the gets out of the Jeep. Stiles feigns surprise along with Adeline who stands next to him awkwardly. 

 "Mrs. McCall? Wow. This is crazy. Talk about a coincidence." Peter Hale steps out from the driver's side, approaching the rear of his now damaged car with an amused smile.

"Nicely done, Scott," Peter mutters under his breath, but Adeline is close enough to hear him. She shoots him a glare, fully aware that Scott is likely down the road.

Stiles and Melissa survey the damage to the cars as witnesses gather around.

"I don't know what happened. You guys came out of nowhere," Stiles explains as he gestures toward Peter's car. Meanwhile, Peter's gaze remains fixed on Adeline, who continues to glare at him.

"Came out of nowhere? We were parked on the side of the road!"

"How crazy is that? We should call the police, do an accident report." Stiles tells them as Adeline takes a step closer to the teen boy.

"I don't think that's necessary." Scott's mom scolds.
"You sure? I'm feeling a little whiplash."
"Sorry" Adeline mouths to Melssia.

"You have whiplash? You hit us."

"Something's definitely wrong with my neck." Stiles says rubbing the back of his neck.

"Something will be when I'm strangling it with my bare hands.

Neither Stiles nor Melissa notice Peter stepping away, his gaze wandering to the shadows. However, Adelines eyes are trained on him with a clenched jaw, wishing she could unleash her wrath upon him.

"Peter," Adeline calls out sharply, causing the man to turn around. Meanwhile, Stiles and Melissa continue their conversation about the wreck, unaware of the tension brewing nearby.

"Don't talk to my best friend. Thanks," Adeline adds, offering a fake smile that barely conceals her underlying hostility. Peter's eyes narrow slightly at her, as if he's deep in thought.

 Later Adeline, Stiles, and Scott were all at the Mcall's house. Stiles watches as Scott frantically searches his room.

"Call it again," Scott instructs, his tone tinged with frustration, while Adeline is still trying to process the revelation that Deaton has known about werewolves all along.

"It's not here," Stiles informs him.

Tossing blankets, pillows, and lacrosse equipment around, Scott tears through the room in search of his phone, his frustration mounting with each passing moment.

"So, you lost your phone. Get a new one," Stiles suggests, his tone practical, but Scott's gaze remains fixed on the disarray before him.

"I can't afford a new one. And I can't do this alone. We have to find Derek," Scott stresses. Adeline, who had given up searching for the phone a half-hour ago, chimes in with a sigh.

"Yeah, he's ghosting us at the moment," she adds.

"Okay, A, you're not alone. You have me and Ads. And B, didn't you tell me Derek walked right into gunfire?" Stiles asks, prompting Adeline to nod in agreement remembering him saying something about that... everything starts to blend together the longer she knows about the supernatural.

Scott shakes his head as he speaks. "Argent's plan was to use him to get the Alpha. They won't kill him," he explains, a mix of concern and determination evident in his voice.

"Then let them do what they're planning. They use Derek to get Peter, problem solved." The energetic boy claps his hands together making Adeline roll her eyes.

"Not if Peter's going after Allison to find Derek. I can't protect her myself. Which means I need to find Derek first. Just help me. Adeline stop." 

Adeline looks at Scott with an offended look. "What did I do?!" 

 Stiles reluctantly gets up to join the search. 

"You know, you probably lost it when you two were fighting. Remember? When he was trying to kill you? When you interrupted him trying to kill Jackson? Starting to see a pattern of violent behavior here? No? Maybe it's just me."
"I see it to." Adeline states raising her hand making Stiles point in her direction.

"See."

Scott sighs at the to. "He wasn't going to kill anyone. And I'm not letting him die."

"Could you at least think about letting him die?" Stiles asks before Scott can respond; he hears something. The sound of a car engine.

"What?" Stiles and Adeline ask simultaneously, exchanging a brief glance before turning their attention back to Scott. "My mom's home," Scott says.

Stiles tries to read Scott's expression. "Is she okay?" he asks. Scott shakes his head, his expression somber as he continues to listen. "What's she doing now?" Stiles inquires, lowering his voice.

"Crying," Scott responds, his tone heavy with emotion.

"That makes me feel like shit," Adeline sighs, sinking down to the floor and leaning against Scott's bed. Stiles watches Scott slump down on his bed, his heart aching for his friend's pain. "Scott, you can't protect everyone," Adeline nods in agreement, her expression reflecting empathy for Scott's distress. "He's right, Scott," she adds softly. "But I have to," Scott insists, his voice heavy with determination. Unbeknownst to him, Stiles exchanges a worried glance with Adeline, both deeply concerned for their friend's well-being. With his cell phone in hand, Stiles turns it over and over, lost in thought.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Adeline whispers, her eyes darting between Stiles and Scott. They both nod in response. She reaches for the stack of DVDs, her fingers hovering over the familiar titles until she finds the one, she's been craving. It's a sappy romcom, the kind she used to make them watch with her before all the werewolf craziness took over their lives. With Stiles's help, Adeline squeezes herself between them on the bed. 

As the movie begins to play, its cheesy lines and predictable plot offer a comforting familiarity that they've been missing. The room is bathed in the soft glow of the screen, casting shadows that dance across their faces. For a moment, they forget about the dangers lurking outside, the secrets they're keeping, and the uncertainties of their future. 

They're just three teenagers watching a movie.