𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫, m. tate & i. lahey

𝟎𝟐𝟕. all she wanted

ANCHOR

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THE GROUP STANDS in one of the many empty classrooms in Beacon Hills High School, all of the boys (except for Mason) and Kira being dressed in their lacrosse uniforms with their gear laying out on the tables around them.

Earlier in the day, Scott and Stiles paid a visit to Coach Finstock — who's been in rehab for the past seven months due to his alcohol issues — to try and gain his assistance in cancelling tonight's lacrosse charity game (only after Stilinski was unable to cancel it himself without evidence of a credible threat).

So, after successfully convincing Coach to leave rehab, Scott decided to gather everyone to explain the plan and strategy for once Coach calls off the game.

"Mason, you know your part?" Scott questions, circling to the other side of the counter to face the boy.

"Corey and I break into the Devenford Bus and search their shoes."

Malia steps up beside Kira and away from the windows. "I take out the TV vans."

"Right before the whistle," Stiles says, "Coach forfeits the game."

"The rest of us are looking for a size ten with a bloody sole," Liam adds, receiving nods of agreement from Isaac and Allison.

Then Isaac lets out a steady breath, his lips parting reluctantly. "Not trying to be negative or anything"—Stiles rolls his eyes—"but what if all of this doesn't work?"

"Why do you always have to bring that up?" Stiles questions, squinting at the beta in annoyance.

"He has a point, though," Allison sighs.

"What if we have to go up against this thing?" Malia inquires, understanding Isaac's concerns about the situation. "I mean, I hate to bring up bad memories but Scott's still healing from what Theo did to him."

"No, he's not," Kira corrects.

Everyone narrows their gaze at her words, averting their attention to Scott when he confirms her statement. He bundles the hem of his lacrosse jersey into his hands to lift it up and reveal the mended skin of his previously torn abdomen, no trace of the wounds inflicted by Theo in sight.

"It happened the night we got Lydia out of Eichen House," Scott explains as they gape at him. "I healed. When we were all together again. When we were a pack."

"The Beast doesn't have a pack," Liam says.

"Not like us," Scott concurs. He glances at each of his friends with an encouraging yet determined expression, smiling slightly. "We can do this, guys. No one dies tonight."

At these words, Malia unconsciously finds her gaze drawn to Isaac, who is already looking at her with an unreadable expression. She gulps down the knot in her throat as he takes in a deep breath when they both realize that neither intend to avert their eyes.

Then their friends begin to file out of the room to join the rest of the crowd and lacrosse teams outside, forcing Malia to pull her attention away from Isaac. He collects his gear off the desk without saying a word to her as she passes him.

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When the whistle screeches through the air and the lacrosse players on both Devenford and Beacon Hills begin to rush out onto the field, Malia creases her brows in confusion until a hand clasps over her wrist. She whirls around to find Isaac standing behind her, holding his lacrosse helmet and stick, and her tense shoulders relax almost immediately.