"Told you he was up to something," Stiles grinned, watching as Theo Raeken shut the trunk to his car, carrying a brown canvas bag. "We just spent three hours watching this dude play video games in his bedroom," Liam said, "He better be out here covering up some mass murder."
"Or meeting his Cheeto dealer," Aspen murmured, "How can one kid eat so many?" The two teens were currently crouched behind a bush, stalking the childhood friend, under the persuasion of Stiles.
"Let's find out," Stiles said, pushing himself off of the ground, beckoning Liam and Aspen after him.
They trudged on through the woods. Stiles asked, "Still got his scent?" Aspen pointed at the muddy footprints on the ground. "Don't need it."
Liam cursed. "What?" Stiles asked, "What's wrong?"
"I-i forgot," he muttered, "We were supposed to meet Mason at the school." Stiles furrowed his eyebrows. "Okay, why didn't you just tell him?"
Liam sighed. "Tell him what?" Stiles held his arms up, dropping them abruptly at his sides. "Anything?"
Aspen bit her lip. "We can't just tell him.. Anything.."
"Why not?"
"Because we.. We haven't told him everything," Liam stammered, holding his arms up. Stiles frowned. "Still? We said its okay."
"Yeah, I know," Liam told him, "But it's a.. A lot to accept."
"He watched my dad blow up a Berserker with a land mine," Stiles deadpanned, "I think the groundwork's been pretty throughly laid for 'acceptance.'" He surveyed their uneasy faces. "Scott and I have been through this, okay? More than once.. It's always better when they know."
"But what if he freaks out?" Aspen exclaimed, "What if he doesn't what to be friends anymore or.."
"Or what if he tries to stab me with something silver?" Liam jumped in. "Or maybe he-"
Aspen blinked at the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend and looked down. There he was, rubbing his head at the bottom of a hole. "Having fun?"
Stiles stomped over. "What the heck are you doing?"
Liam held his arms out with a face that said "you're an idiot". Stiles looked up, spotting Theo from a couple feet away. "There he is.. Stop screwing around and come on."
Aspen laughed and offered a hand to Liam, who just sprung up onto the grass instead. He smirked and she scoffed. "Show off.."
The two quickly caught up to Stiles, settling behind a bush again. "Try and get his scent," Stiles murmured. Liam closed his eyes and sniffed. "Get anything?"
Liam nodded. "Soap. It's nice. Smells good." Aspen elbowed him. "Not his soap, his emotional state." Stiles looked at him. "Chemo-signals, remember?"
Liam gave a small "oh" and nodded reassuringly, sniffing again, before frowning. "He's sad."
"Sad?" Stiles questioned. "Well.. Not just sad.. More like.. Grief."
"Grief?" Aspen scowled, looking at Stiles who had suddenly gotten a horrified look on his face.
"Oh my God," he hissed, "Go.. We have to go now." He grabbed her shoulder and pulled them away, cursing colorfully. "What? Why?" Liam stammered, being shoved as well. "That's the bridge where they found his sister," Stiles muttered. Aspen gasped and looked at Stiles, horrified. "The sister that died of exposure?"
Stiles nodded, biting his lip. "He was leaving a flower for her..." A wave of guilt washed over them. Liam frowned and glanced at him. "That doesn't sound evil.."
Stiles pressed his lips together, "I know." Suddenly, they stopped short as a figure landed in front of them, a small smirk on his face.
"What're you guys doing?" Theo Raeken himself asked.
Liam stepped in front of Aspen, growling slightly at him. Theo held his hands up in benign innocence. "Woah," he said, looking at Stiles, "Why do I get the feeling this kid's tougher than he looks?"
"Only when we let him off his leash," Aspen replied sharply, grabbing Liam's wrist. He set his jaw.
"Stiles," Theo said sympathetically, "We were in Little League together. Why are you so suspicious of me?" Stiles sighed a little and dug around in his pockets, pulling out the two signatures that he had. "Because of these." He handed them to Theo, exhaling before continuing, "One's a speeding ticket signed by your dad eight years ago. The other one's a signature on a transfer form to Beacon High." Theo frowned. "They're different."
Theo glanced back up at them, confusion clear on his face. "Huh.. Yeah they do look a little different.."
Stiles said, "They're completely different. Signed by two different people." Theo narrowed his eyes in disbelief at him. "So, what, my dad's not my dad? Like, he's an imposter?"
"Something like that," Aspen swallowed. Theo glanced at the three teenagers. "Who do you think I am?"
Stiles bit his lip. "We don't know yet." Theo laughed a little. "Want me to give you a DNA sample or something?"
"No," Stiles said flatly, "I don't have anything from the fourth grade to match it to."
Theo sighed and put the signatures in his pocket. "You know, Stiles, I came back here for Scott, but I also came back for you." Aspen frowned a little. "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. But Scott does. You all do."
"I know I'm in the right place. I'm meant to be here," Theo's voice trailed away before he looked them dead in the eye.
"I'm meant to be part of this pack."
<•>
The trio made their way back to the Jeep, as fast as possible, when they met Scott, who looked at them sadly.
"Find anything?" Scott asked. Stiles grumbled, "Nope." Liam smiled a little to lighten the mood, saying, "I fell in a hole." Yet, the tension in the air grew thicker, so Aspen squeezed his hand, kissing the corner of his mouth, giving a tiny smile.
"It was the bridge where his sister died, wasn't it?" Scott asked, hands in pockets. Stiles swallowed. "Yes it was. Very embarrassing. So we're gonna leave now." He attempted to start the engine, but it gave out.
"Son of a.." Stiles hit the steering wheel, clambering out and saying, "Liam, just, do me a favor, get in the car and turn the ignition when I say.."
Liam nodded, getting into the driver's seat and Aspen climbed into the passenger side. "Stiles," Scott repeated. "Be with you in a sec.."
"Stiles.."
"Try it!" Stiles shouted, ignoring Scott again. Liam twisted the key but the Jeep remained immobile, and Stiles cursed under his breath, setting to work with the duck tape again. Scott gave him a look. "Stiles."
"Yes, okay?" Stiles told him, exasperated, "We followed him out here." He threw his arms up and sighed, turning to his bestfriend. "What do you want me to say? That I'm a stalker? That I'm crazy, totally paranoid?" He waved his arms around. "None of this is new information.."
Scott sighed. "Now you're at least gonna give him the benefit of the doubt?" Stiles muttered another curse word, before saying, "I give people the benefit of the doubt.. Ive given a lot of benefit to a lot of people."
Scott looked at Stiles through sad, brown eyes. "Like Derek? Kira? Liam?" Stiles didn't meet his eyes. "I was right about Peter.. Try it again Liam!"
Liam swallowed, trying the engine, which sputtered to life for a moment before dying on them again. He looked sympathetically at Aspen, who was staring at the dash board, shaken from listening to the two friends fight.
"You know, I bet you still think that there's something about him that can be saved," Stiles spat. Scott exhaled, quietly saying, "Maybe.."
Stiles made a frustrated noise, closing his eyes in anger. "Try it again!"
One more failed attempt at starting the Jeep about did it for Stiles. "Why can't you trust anyone?" Scott asked. "Because you trust everyone!" Stiles exclaimed, pulling his fist back and punching the metal inside of the Jeep, screaming upon contact. Aspen flinched, reaching for Liam's hand. She hated seeing this side of Stiles. Seeing the concerned look on Scott's face, he did too.
"Are you okay?" he asked immediately. Though Stiles' lip trembled and he clutched his hurt hand, he muttered, "I'm fine." Tears brimmed his lash line. "You could've broken it," Scott said, reaching for his friend's hand. Stiles jerked away. "It's not broken.."
"Let me see it," Scott said tenderly. Stiles glanced at him warily, "I-I'm fine.."
"Let me see it," Scott repeated, holding out his hand. Stiles slowly extended his injured hand, watching as Scott placed his hand on top of it. The four teenagers watched as Scott's veins turned black as he took Stiles pain. When the black faded away, Stiles removed his hand and flexed his fingers.
He was healed.
[8]
Aspen and Liam hurriedly jumped out of the now started Jeep, jogging to meet Mason at the school doors. "Hey, sorry we're late," Liam sighed, looking at his friend apprehensively.
"Oh, no, you're not late. You missed it," Mason looked at his friends, hurt, "I worked out. For two hours."
"I-I know, I forgot," Liam stammered, looking at Aspen for support, "And I'm gonna tell you why. Actually, I'm gonna tell you a lot of things. A lot of hard to believe things.. Really hard to believe.."
"There's a wolf," Mason stated, eyes wide. "We're getting to that," Aspen blurted, looking at the ground.
"No," Mason said again, pointing over their shoulders, "There's a wolf. Right behind you."
Aspen froze, Liam turning, confused, to see the black wolf behind them.
He swallowed. "That's a wolf."
The wolf growled and they all turned, running up the steps and bursting through the doors to the high school. The three ran in fear of their lives, as fast as they could, through the halls of the school. Liam lead the group, considering he was the fastest, Aspen and Mason breathing heavily and trying to catch up. Yet, Aspen running in muddy, slippery boots, did the worst thing to do when something was chasing you.
She tripped.
Aspen fell to the linoleum tiles, Liam's spare hoodie sliding off of her shoulders, and Liam screeched to a stop, turning around to pull her up, Mason running ahead to the stairs. Liam might've had time to help her up, but the wolf would be on them in seconds, so he did the only thing he could think of.
He roared.
The sound ricocheted off of the walls, shaking the lockers. Aspen glanced up at her boyfriend, with his yellow eyes and all, before looking back at the blue-eyed wolf coming to a stop in front of her. It turned and retreated quickly.
Aspen pushed herself off of the ground, once she was sure the wolf was gone, and looked in amazement at Liam, his claws retracting and eyes fading back to their normal blue.
Mason's eyes widened when the two turned to him, Liam stammering, "There's something I gotta tell you.."
Mason got a wild look in his eyes and a little smile spread across his mouth.
"You're a werewolf."
A/N:
LOL GUESS WHO SAID THEY WERENT GOING TO UPDATE?
ME
BUT GUESS WHO GOT A NEW LAPTOP AND HAD TO?
ME
So here I am, chillin in my McCall 11 sweatshirt (b/c scott is bae, that's why), writing with my crummy wi fi and listening to Adele..
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
[scotts_mccall]