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I'm sitting in the library along with some of my friends, writing a letter to Derek. It's funny, because I don't even know where he is right now. The letters that are meant for him are never sent- they're currently collecting dust on the top drawer of my shelf at home.
I write to him every week, so that when I see him again, I can tell him what he missed. The chance that I actually will see him again is slim, but still existent, because I choose to believe that I will.
Hey, Derek,
I think things are about to change. This new guy came into town when Scott was attacked by another giant werewolf. The attacker had talons instead of claws- it was insane. Really insane.
And this new kid- he says his name is Theo and apparently he knows Scott and Stiles from fourth grade. He claims he wants to be a part of this pack. I don't think I believe him. Neither does Stiles, and even though Theo hasn't given me a reason to doubt him, you know Stiles is never wrong about this stuff.
I haven't told anyone about this, apart from Liam, but a few days ago, I nearly went crazy. I don't understand why. I don't want my eyes to go from yellow to blue just because I'm not strong enough to control myself.
Derek, I don't know where you are or what you're doing, but I really wish you were here. You'd know what to do.
-Sadie.
"Guys, guys!" Stiles walks up to us briskly, waving two sheets of paper in the air.
"So you found something?" Scott asks, clearly surprised.
"Another signature." Stiles places the two papers on the table, pressing them flat. He points to the first. "This is Theo's dad's signature on a speeding ticket from eight years ago. Now this," he points to the other paper, "is his signature on the transfer form to Beacon Hills High School from just a few days ago."
He waits for us to say something.
"How did you get his transfer form?" I ask, scowling curiously.
"Did you break into the administration office?" Scott asks eagerly.
"No, I did not break into the administration office." He dismisses, a little too quickly. I raise my eyebrows. "Okay, I might've broken into the administration office, can we just focus on the signatures, please? They're different."
"Hm..."
"They're sort of... different." Malia confirms, though her tone is unsure.
"They're completely different, come on!"
"So... Now Theo is Theo, but his parents aren't his parents?" Kira doesn't sound the slightest bit convinced.
"Someone's not someone. And when I figure out who that someone is, someone is in big trouble."
"Okay... but no one's done anything wrong-"
"Yet! If Theo's parents are psychotic killers, then obviously we shouldn't trust him, right?"
"My parents are Peter and the Desert Wolf." Malia reminds him.
"Okay you know what," he rubs his hand against his forehead, "I'll just figure this out by myself. I don't need you, or you, or you, or you!" He points to all of us. "I don't need anyone!" He calls as he walks away. As paranoid as he's being, I choose to walk after him.
"I want to see what else he finds." I explain and walk out of the library.
I step inside of Stiles' blue jeep which is relying on duct tape to keep it functioning. I startle as I see Liam in the passenger seat.
"What's a criminal trover?" he asks when Stiles enters the car, holding a piece of paper in his hand.
"Doesn't matter." Stiles snaps the paper out of his hands and I bite back a laugh.
~
"Where are we going?" I groan, "We have spent two hours stalking Theo playing video games." It's already dark outside, but Stiles seems desperate about finding something.
"Actually, I'm pretty sure it was three." Liam comments.
"Just look. He's parking. Come on, both of you."
Liam and Stiles get out of the car, but the door on my side won't open. I grunt in frustration.
"Out of the car, Sadie." Stiles whines impatiently like a child.
"Your door is stuck." I say, but he doesn't hear me. Liam does and smiles.
I clench my fist and open it again, claws coming out where, one second before, normal nails had been. Stiles' mouth falls open.
"Don't you dare, don't you dare-"
Liam and I are both laughing, and for some reason, Stiles doesn't understand that I'm bluffing. I take out my phone and quickly take a picture of his face before opening the door on the other side.
"That wasn't funny. Now let's go." Stiles walks away angrily, and Liam nearly snorts. I lightly shove his shoulder and start following Stiles.
We walk for ten minutes before Liam stops in his tracks.
"What happened, why aren't you walking?" I ask.
"I forgot... I was supposed to meet Mason at the school gym." he mutters.
"Okay, so... why don't you just tell him something, anything?" Stiles suggests.
"Because I haven't..." Liam puts his hands in his pockets, "I haven't told him everything. It's not that easy."
"Liam, Scott and I have been through this, okay? Sadie has, too. So have all of us. More than once. It's going to get easier once you tell him." Stiles continues walking.
"He's right. It's always better when they know." I assure Liam, even though I understand how hard it is- I could barely get the words out when I had to tell my mother about my abilities.
Liam doesn't stop overthinking. "What if he freaks out? What if he doesn't want to talk to me? What if he tries to stab me with something silver? Or what if-" Thud.
I spin around, and the earth has swallowed Liam whole.
"Liam?"
A groan echoes out of the ground. "Yup."
I trace my steps back by three and discover a hole. Liam lies inside of it. Stiles walks up to it hastily.
"What are you doing? Can you stop messing aro-" he freezes. "He's over there!" he whispers aggressively.
"Need help?" I offer Liam a hand, but he declines, and so I catch up with Stiles, who is crouching behind a fallen tree. I gaze over the trunk and control a gasp. Theo is standing on the bridge right in front of us.
"What's up with him? Do you smell anything?"
I take a long inhale, concentrating on his scent, trying to get past the sickening amount of cologne. His scent somehow feels colder. Not literally, but the smell seems as if it has its own feeling now.
"Something's upsetting him." I conclude. Liam appears next to me.
"He's sad. Not just sad, it's more like... grief." Liam says.
Our eyes are stuck to him. We watch as he pulls a white flower from a paper bag and gently tosses it into the stream.
"Oh my God." Stiles squeaks and places his hands on my shoulder, forcing me to turn around. "Let's go. Let's go. Right now. Just go." he urges.
"Why, what's wrong?"
"It's the bridge where they found his sister."
"What? What sister?"
"The one who got lost and died from exposure. He's leaving a flower for her." Stiles waves his arm around violently as he continues to walk aggressively.
"That doesn't sound evil-"
"I know!"
All three of us freeze. Standing on one of the big branches from the tree in front of us is Theo. I nearly gasp.
He jumps down from the tree, which is impressive; the tree is pretty tall. His expression is unreadable, and he keeps it that way until he fully stands up. An innocent smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
"What're you guys doing?" A boiling scent of anger fills my nose, and it's not Theo's. Liam is tensed up next to me, and if looks could kill, Theo would be dead by now.
"Liam." I whisper. When I gaze back at Theo, his hands are in the air, an act of surrender.
"Why do I get the feeling this kid is tougher than he looks?" Theo asks, forcing a chuckle.
"Only when we let him off his leash." Stiles answers, and his tone is bitter.
"Stiles... we were in elementary school together, why are you so suspicious of me?"
Stiles avoids his eyes, but eventually sighs and hands him the two papers. I wouldn't do that if I were him, but it's too late. Theo is already reading them.
"The speeding ticket signed by your dad eight years ago and the signature on the Beacon High transfer form? They're different."
"Huh..." Theo squints at it thoughtfully. "Yeah... they're a little different."
"Oh, no, they're totally different."
"So, what, my dad's not my dad?" Theo folds up the papers. "Who do you think I am?"
"I don't know yet." Stiles mumbles.
"Look, Stiles, I came back here for Scott." He pauses. "But I also came back for you. Someone like you. Someone who's willing to walk into the woods in the middle of the night to protect his friends. I don't have anyone like that. Scott does." he looks at me, then at Liam. I feel a wave of pity wash over me. "You all do. I know I'm meant to be here. I'm meant to be a part of this pack."
~
Scott is at Stiles' jeep, waiting for us. Stiles tries to avoid him, but his jeep lets him down.
"It was the bridge where his sister died, wasn't it?"
"Yes it was. Very embarrassing."
"I fell in a hole," Liam says nervously. I laugh, but he doesn't find it funny.
"We're leaving now. I need to get Liam back to school to meet Mason." I press my lips into a straight line. I hoped that Stiles could give me a ride home, but the high school is in the opposite direction to where I live.
"I'll get home, too." I say my goodbyes and start walking along the street.
I've been walking for five minutes. A car slows down at my side, and when I face it I see that it's Theo.
"Need a ride?"
"No, I'm good."
"How far is your house?"
"Far. But close enough to walk."
He smirks. "You really don't trust me, do you?"
"I don't. And I don't like you very much, either."
"You don't even know me."
I look at him, trying to hide my triumphant smile- he's just set his word against his.
"Precisely."
He chuckles. "Just let me drive you home. You don't need to act like Stiles."
That last part sets me off. I don't remember feeling angry enough to lash out a few seconds ago, but I guess I am now. It doesn't feel like me, but I can't seem to control myself.
I stop walking and slam my hands on the part of his door where the window is rolled down.
"Look, Theo." I nearly spit his name at him. "I don't know who you are or what you want. But Stiles isn't the only one with common sense and a little bit of an ego problem. So I suggest you drive away before I-"
I sink my head. Something's wrong. I feel too much anger. Too much power. I feel the claws coming out of my fingers and swallow hard. My grip becomes tighter.
"You should go." I warn him. "You should..." I clench my jaw as hard as I can. I channel all my energy into retracting my claws.
I manage eventually, but that doesn't change the fact that it happened.
"What was that?" Theo asks, astounded. "When were you bitten?"
"It doesn't matter. Just go."
"Sadie, what-"
"Just leave!" I yell. His gaze lingers on me, but he drives off. Extremely slowly. He stops the car at times, just to double check, which annoys me, but at least he leaves me alone for now.
I wait until my breathing rate changes back to normal and pull out my phone. Derek gave me an emergency number before he left Beacon Hills and I haven't tried to call it yet. But this is an emergency.
The dial tone echoes in my ears as I continue walking. Just as I expected, it goes to voicemail.
"Hi. It's Sadie. I don't even know if you have a phone right now but I need your help. Derek, something's happening to me. I'm losing control. This is the second time. I don't know why. Please, just... call me when you can." I exhale loudly as I hang up the phone and dial Scott's number. A lump forms in my throat and my eyes go watery. I don't know what's wrong.
"Sadie? What's wrong?"
"Scott, can you come pick me up?" I try my best to talk normally but fail.
"Yeah, of course, where are you?"
"I- I don't know. I can't be far from the part in the woods we were at."
"I'm on my way."
It's about ten minutes later and I hear the distant roaring of Scott's bike. I'm nearly shaking. Whatever is going on with me must be affecting my emotions. Or maybe I'm just scared.
"Are you okay?" he asks. I suck on my lip and shake my head.
"Scott, I don't know what's happening. I can't control myself."
He hands me a helmet.
"What's wrong with me?"
Scott stays silent for a while, but after a few seconds, his eyes widen.
"I think I know... who was your anchor?"
"I..." I realise I have no idea. I just learned to contain my strength after a while. I don't really have an anchor.
"It's Derek, isn't it?" Scott suggests.
I think about it, and it makes sense. It makes a lot of sense.
"Derek always checked up on you. He was family to you."
He's right. I've never really thought about it this way, but now that I am, I realise that it might be true.
I recall the time my mom was in the hospital. Derek stayed with me the entire night. I remember every single breakdown, every injury, every tear, every outburst. He was always the first person I'd call, and he still is.
"And now that he..." Scott continues. "Well, now you need to find a new anchor, I guess."
"Yeah..."
Scott gives me an encouraging smile, but then his face falls and he turns away from me.
"Are you okay?" I ask him immediately- Scott is always the last to mention his own problems, and he deserves a lot more than that.
He smiles again and sighs, nodding dismissively.
"Yeah. Stiles and I just had a little argument, that's all."
"A little argument?" I scoff, to which Scott rolls his eyes.
"Come on. That's means you nearly killed each other."
I hear a vibration coming from Scott's pocket. He takes his phone out without hesitation, trying to dodge my comments, and brings it to his ear, mumbling a 'Yes?' and an 'On my way.'
"What happened?"
"I don't know. Lydia found another crime scene."
"I'm coming with you."
"No. I need to get you home." Scott says firmly. I know this is a command, not a request, but I argue anyway.
"I'm going. If something important happened-"
"Nope." Scott shakes his head at me, like he's talking to a child. "You know, technically, I am the head of this pack. Kind of like your boss." he says, and I know he's incredibly proud of himself.
"Oh, piss off." I say, but I don't argue anymore, because I feel that if I do, I'm going to use up the little energy that I have left for tonight.
"Come on, Sadie." Scott chuckles. "Let's go. You need some rest."
~
I lie in my bed with my hair sticking to my neck. It's not even that hot in my room, so it must be the stress. I've already thrown my blanket off my bed and turned my pillow around countless times. The bedsheets under me are wrinkled because of all my tossing and turning.
I despise summer nights.
My phone is buzzing like mad, but it isn't my alarm. I know because I haven't fallen asleep. Without opening my eyes, I search for my phone on my nightstand and swipe blindly until I hit the correct button.
"Sadie?" Lydia's voice is slightly panicked on the phone.
"Lydia? What's wrong?"
"Do you know Tracy?"
I've seen her in the hallway a few times before, although, now that Lydia mentions it, I haven't seen her in a while.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well she's-" Lydia pauses and I hear her footsteps. When she continues talking, her voice shrinks to a whisper. "She's been having night terrors. But, like... supernatural ones. And now..." she breathes in loudly. "There's been an accident. Her dad's dead. And she's missing."
I'm at a loss for words. "Do they know what happened?"
"No, but I might have an idea... Kira, Malia and I were driving and I... led them here. This wasn't just a normal car accident. Not only because I felt drawn here but because..." she stops talking for an agonizing amount of time. "Because there's claw marks at the top of the car."
"Holy shit."
"That's not all. Scott found Donovan not too far from the scene."
Just an hour ago, after I left the forest, Stiles texted me about the death threats Donovan spat at the sheriff when he was at the station tonight.
"Donovan mentioned a name."
At first, I think he must've mentioned Theo's name, but I'm wrong.
"He kept repeating Tracy's name."
I connect the dots.
"Tracy caused the accident." I realise and swear under my breath. "That means she's supernatural too."
And I know what that means.
It means there's another alpha, or worse, another enemy in Beacon Hills.
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how does this story have over 50 reads already-
SLAAYY also can we please talk about the chaotic friendship between sadie, liam and stiles- i love it sm
mkay bye yall
- julia <3