Sheriff Stilinski studied himself in a small mirror and muttered, "Oh, I should've gotten a haircut."
Stiles moved closer to his dad. "Well, you know, someone your age should be happy you still have hair to cut."
Maggie sighed as she rolled her eyes. Scott, who was standing to her left, said, "Well, I think you look great."
The witch nodded. "You look nice, Sheriff."
Sheriff Stilinski gave him a nod. "Well, thank you son and daughter I should have had. Oh, what the hell am I doing? This is a terrible idea." He tugged at his tie and started loosening it.
Stiles fixed his dad's tie. "What, Dad... Dad, it's one date, okay? The town of Beacon Hills won't implode while you're out with one woman. Or man."
Maggie stared at Stiles before smiling at the sheriff. "Ignore your son. Stiles, you should be nicer to your dad. Whoever you're going on a date with is very lucky."
Sheriff Stilinski returned her a smile. "Thank you, Maggie." He turned to his son. "It's a woman, Stiles."
Stiles grinned goofily. "Okay."
"A very beautiful woman."
Caleb and Maggie tilted their heads. "Who?"
Stiles nodded and asked, "Who is she?"
The sheriff shook his head. "None of your business. Either of you."
Maggie huffed, Caleb sighed and Stiles narrowed his eyes and demanded, "I want to know. She does too."
"Stilinski!" a boy in handcuffs yelled. He was being escorted by a couple deputies. "Stilinski!"
They walked into the hallway and saw the boy standing in the middle of the room.
"I'm gonna kill you," the boy said.
Sheriff Stilinski was unfazed by the boy's word as he said, "Donovan, if you think that shocks me or Deputy Young, remember it was well documented in your Anger Expression Inventory. Deputies, escort the prisoner out."
The deputies walked towards Donovan, who kept his eyes on the sheriff. "I'm not angry like I'm gonna throw a brick in your window. I'm angry like I'm going to find you, I'm going to get a knife, and I'm going to stab you with it until you're dead. And when you look at me and you ask me why, remember now." Donovan's lawyer was warning him to stop talking, but he wasn't listening. "Because this is why."
There was a moment of silence before Stiles spoke up. "Wow, that was awesome."
Maggie glanced at him. "Now would be a good time to keep your mouth shut."
He ignored her and continued. "That was awesome. That was great. We do one more? Give us another one, maybe like Christopher Walken this time, you know?" Donovan looked at him blankly. "Okay, you know what? It's fine. You'll have plenty of time to work on it when you're in your tiny, little cell. You know, just stuck there, forever."
Maggie glared at him. "Stiles, seriously. Shut up."
Donovan smirked, looking Maggie up and down. "What are you gonna do?"
Maggie tilted her head, challenge swimming in her eyes. "You really don't want to tempt me."
Donovan attempted to lunge at them. Maggie clenched her fist as Parrish tightened his grip on Donovan. Caleb placed a hand on his sister's shoulder and shook his head.
As he was taken away, the sheriff turned to the teens and Scott asked, "What the hell's an Anger Expression Inventory?"
Stiles looked at his friend and let out a sigh. "It's a test you take when you're applying to become a deputy."
Scott's eyebrows raised in surprise. "That guy wanted to be a cop?"
Caleb shrugged. "Well, maybe he'll change his mind now that he's getting the full law enforcement experience."
They left the station and Roscoe's engine started to sputter. Maggie let out an irritated sigh as Stiles kept trying to turn the key. He noticed Scott looking at him in concern. "It's anxiety."
"What is?" Scott questioned. "The chemosignals?"
Stiles nodded sarcastically. "Oh, I'm well aware of how you all monitor my emotional state. I'm sure you've been monitoring Maggie and Caleb's as well."
"You okay?" Scott asked and Stiles nodded. "All right."
Stiles pulled up a picture on his phone. "I got this from Braeden a few hours ago. That's the first real bit of information we've gotten on the Desert Wolf in months."
"The Desert Wolf did this?" Scott asked.
"Yeah," Stiles confirmed. "And I'm the one who's been pulling on this thread."
Caleb glanced at him. "You're curious. It's who you are. It's who Maggie is."
"Maybe you two should stop," Scott suggested.
Maggie shook her head. "He can't, Scott. It's not up to us. He has to do that himself." She turned to Stiles. "Try the ignition."
Stiles did so and the engine purred.
They drove to the scene of a murder and caught the eye of the sheriff. "Boys. Maggie. Scott, you saw this kid, Donovan. He... He wasn't like you, right?"
Scott shook his head. "I don't think so. Unless he knows how to hide his scent."
The sheriff sighed as he pursed his lips. "Well, human or otherwise, this kid might have just murdered his lawyer and mortally wounded two officers. We've got an APB out on him, but you think you can find him faster?"
"I can try."
Sheriff Stilinski nodded and handed Scott a walkie talkie. "All right. Keep it on channel two."
Maggie chose to stay back with Stiles who asked, "Dad, what if it wasn't Donovan?"
The sheriff raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you've already got a theory?"
Maggie noticed Theo standing above everything on a bridge support. "Stiles? Look."
Stiles, who'd also noticed Theo, nodded. "Yeah, I think I do."
They heard screaming moments later from the radio and the sheriff said, "Scott, is that you?"
"Yeah, I found Donovan. He's completely freaked out. He keeps saying some name."
"What name?"
"Theo," Stiles whispered.
"Tracy. He keeps saying Tracy."
"Tracy who?" Sheriff Stilinski wondered.
"Stewart. Tracy Stewart," Lydia and Maggie told him.
The next day at school, the pack was standing between the buses as Lydia explained Tracy's situation. "Tracy wasn't just having trouble sleeping. It was a real disorder. It was night terrors."
"Well, now she's the night terror," Stiles said. "Especially since no one can find her."
"Okay, I know we're all tired and miserable..." Scott began, looking at his friends before catching Mason's eye. "Except for you."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Mason apologized. "This is all just mind-blowing." His eyes trailed down the line of teens before focusing on Kira. "You're a kitsune. I don't even know what that is."
Kira gave him an awkward smile. "I'm still learning."
Mason looked at Maggie and Caleb. "And you're a witch and a warlock."
Stiles frowned at Scott's beta. "Liam, we said you could tell him. Not invite him to the inner circle."
Mason pointed to himself, obviously excited. "I'm in the inner circle?"
"No," Stiles and Liam retorted.
Malia scoffed. "One lone serial-killing wolf."
Stiles threw his hands in the air. "Uh, she only killed one person, you know. The other two were mauled."
Caleb frowned. "Are you saying that justifies her actions?"
"I say we put her down," Malia stated.
They glanced between each other, seeing Mason's nod and wide eyes. "Intense."
Maggie shook her head. "No. We aren't putting her down."
"Why not?" Malia asked.
"She's still a person."
Scott nodded. "Maggie's right. Let's concentrate on catching her first. We'll figure out the rest later."
Stiles sighed. "Well, we need a plan. That usually seems to help us get killers."
"Agreed. Anybody got any ideas?"
As they attempted to come up with a plan, Stiles showed Malia the pictures Braeden had sent him of the Desert Wolf's victims.
Malia looked at the photos. "My mother did this?"
Stiles nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, Braeden said these guys were bad. You know, really bad."
"So they deserved it?"
Malia nodded, glancing between Maggie and Stiles. "I guess we know one thing now. She's good at her job."
They separated, making their way to class.
Maggie and Caleb walked to AP Bio and the latter sat next to Lydia. Mrs. Finch handed tests back and her grade was a 95, Caleb's was a 97.
Scott got his test back and Mrs. Finch smiled at him. "Nice to see where your priorities are, Scott. Since you have such a good grasp of the subject, how about you lead us in a review of last night's reading."
"Uh... Sure," Scott answered.
Maggie glanced up and saw Liam outside the door, flailing his arms. Scott noticed as well and hesitated, causing Mrs. Finch to call his name. "Scott?"
"Sorry, just looking for the page."
"Scott?"
The blonde tried mouthing to Liam, but he didn't answer. She picked up her bag and asked, "Mrs. Finch, may I use the restroom?"
She nodded and Maggie caught Liam's attention outside. "Fire alarm. It works wonders."
The witch pulled the fire alarm and he led them to Mr. Yukimura's class. When they entered the classroom, Tracy grabbed onto another girl's arm, so tightly her arm started bleeding.
Scott tried calling out the girl's name. "Tracy. Tracy." She started hissing and breathing heavily. "Tracy."
Maggie frowned. "What's wrong?"
"A friend of mine. Something's wrong. I need Scott," Liam said.
"Tracy, let her go," Maggie ordered.
"Hey, you're hurting me," the other girl protested.
"Tracy, let her go," Scott demanded.
"They're coming," Tracy warned. "They're coming for all of us."
She fell to the ground, eyes wide open. A silvery substance poured out of her. Maggie knelt next to the substance and took a small sample of it. "Hey, Scott, your boss should check this out, Scott."
"Why?" the girl asked.
"He's an expert. You are?"
"Hayden. What sort of expert?"
"He's veterinarian. Trust me, he can help."
Hayden gave her a light smile and followed Liam outside.
Scott and Mr. Yukimura carried Tracy from the school. Malia, Stiles, Caleb and Maggie followed.
They got to the Animal Clinic and Deaton shone a flashlight in Tracy's eyes. "Pupils dilate under normal conditions." Tracy started breathing heavily. "Heart rate is 250. Evidence of an allogenic skin graft on the right shoulder. Now, this silvery substance at her lips is not something I've seen. It almost looks like mercury."
Caleb studied the substance closer. "Makes sense. It looks kind of like the liquid in those old thermometers."
Malia frowned. "Uh... Can't you just give her a shot of something?"
"She doesn't look to be in any pain," Deaton replied.
"I meant a shot to kill her."
"I generally prescribe a code of ethics that frowns on such measures."
"Malia, you know we're not going to do that," Scott told her.
Stiles frowned. "How do you know she's not going to kill us? She makes a decent point. Either way, eventually I'm going to have to let my dad know she's here."
"Agreed."
Deaton gave them a small smile. "And while I may argue against euthanasia, I'm not opposed to a little... Extra security." He spread a circle of Mountain Ash around the clinic.
Deaton noticed Stiles' expression and said, "Don't worry, Stiles. Tracy won't be able to cross a line of Mountain Ash. She's not going anywhere."
Stiles nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's kind of what I'm afraid of."
"Well, you, Maggie, Caleb and I will be able to get out of here no problem. You two. Not so much."
Malia touched the barrier and it rippled behind her hand. "Weird."
Deaton turned to one of his employees. "Scott, would you mind holding her down? I'm going to be trying a few more invasive tests."
He tried to cut Tracy's skin with a scalpel, but it broke and her skin remained uninjured.
"I think you're gonna need a bigger blade," Stiles commented.
Deaton noticed something moving under her skin and said, "Now, this is interesting."
Maggie and Caleb looked closer. "What is that?"
Deaton shook his head. "I have no idea."
Scott's phone vibrated and he pulled it from his pocket.
"What is it?" Stiles wondered.
"It's my mom," Scott answered. "It's about the driver of the prison transport. She's saying he's awake and talking."
Deaton looked up. "Malia, help me turn her over, please."
The two of them flipped Tracy onto her back.
Scott's phone buzzed a second time and he said, "Driver didn't have a stroke or heart attack. Says it was more like his body just locked up..."
"Like he was paralyzed," Stiles realized as the four of them exchanged a look.
Scott nodded. "I think I know what she is."
Malia crossed her arms. "Do you care to enlighten the rest of us? Because this doesn't look too good."
"It wasn't a werewolf," Stiles told her.
"She's part kanima," Caleb stated.
Tracy's back broke open and a bony tail shot out. She shot up and crossed the Mountain Ash border. Tabitha darted back, narrowly avoiding Tracy's tail. Stiles frowned. "Hey, Deaton, how the hell did she get through the Mountain Ash?"
Deaton shook his head. "I don't know. It's a barrier no supernatural creature should be able to cross."
"Scott did it," Stiles noted.
"Once, but it almost killed me," Scott said.
"We should've killed her," Stiles grumbled as they were stricken to the ground. "Meanwhile, she's probably on her way to killing someone."
Deaton instructed them, "Listen, everyone. We need to concentrate. Scott and Malia, you two will probably be able to move long before Stiles, Caleb and I can."
Maggie's eyes widened. "She's after someone. I'm gonna follow her."
The witch left for the sheriff's station.
Lydia and Kira turned to the blonde and Lydia said, "Maggie? What are you doing here?"
"An ambush," Maggie warned.
"I know." Lydia turned to her mother. "Mom, she's coming. Tracy's coming for you."
Mrs. Martin frowned. "What? What do you mean for me?"
Tracy, who was sporting a tail, jumped down from the ceiling. She paralyzed the sheriff and knocked his gun away. She turned her attention to Kira. "Kira, look out!"
Maggie raised her hands, ready to attack.
Lydia and Maggie turned to her mom and Lydia cried, "Mom, run! Run!"
Tracy stabbed Maggie and Lydia with her tail. Maggie fell and saw Kira leap onto a desk with her kitsune aura. Tracy did a spinning attack and Kira cut off her tail. She escaped, and Kira fell to her knees as her aura faded, an exhausted expression on her face.
Maggie let out a small gasp of pain and Kira began applying pressure to her and Lydia's wounds as she cried, "Lydia! Lydia! Maggie! Maggie!"
Lydia glanced at the newcomer. "Malia. Listen... Tracy... She thinks... She thinks she's asleep. She thinks she's dreaming. It's a night terror."
Malia shook her head. "I... I don't know what that..."
"She... She's not dreaming," Maggie explained. "She's not asleep. Get her to understand."
"Malia!" the sheriff called. "They're in the basement."
"They?" Malia repeated.
"Tracy... And my mother," Lydia said.
Maggie swallowed heavily. She could feel herself fighting sleep and tried her best to stay awake, glancing to see that Lydia was doing the same.
Malia nodded and ran off.
Stiles and Caleb entered the station and their eyes immediately zoned in on Maggie and Lydia.
Maggie met Stiles' eyes, seeing the terror in his and figuring hers probably held the same fear. She turned to her brother and saw an equally terrified expression. She had to fight to survive. She was the only one Caleb had left, and she'd be damned if he lost his entire family.