Scott POV
There was something about Stiles' expression that worried me before he left the room. His scent seemed... Almost too happy. Like it was forced. Was it just my imagination? Or was there something going on that I didn't know about? Lydia clicks her fingers in front of me. "Hello? Earth to Scott? You totally just spaced out on us." Lydia says. I shake my head slightly. "Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about something." I answer. Kira frowns.
"About what?" She asks.
"Stiles." I answer honestly. There is a gleam in Kira's eyes that I can't quite work out why it's there.
"What about Stiles?" Lydia speaks up.
"Don't you think he's been acting odd?" I ask her. Lydia considers the question.
"I guess maybe a little, but isn't that understandable? He's been through a lot." Lydia reasons with me.
"I know, but I can't help but feel like something is wrong." I sigh, rubbing a hand through my hair. If there is something wrong, it doesn't seem like Stiles is willing to tell me or anyone else. Kira pats my shoulder comfortingly.
"Lydia's right, Scott. He has been through a hell of a lot lately. It wouldn't surprise me if he was still trying to get over all of it. And if there was something else wrong, I know that he would tell you. He's your best friend, after all." Kira says to me. I nod. "Yeah, you're probably right." I comment, starting to feel less uneasy. Kira and Lydia start the conversation up again about Derek as a child. I laugh and smile along with them, but I don't add much to the conversation. I still feel distracted. After a while, I stand up. "Guys, I'm going to go check on Stiles." I say. Lydia nods while Kira just smiles at me. "I'll be back in a minute." I tell the two girls before walking out of the room. I walk up the stairs and towards the spare room. Something else comes to mind. Stiles said he would only be here a few days. I don't mind him staying longer at all, but I am curious as to why he hasn't left yet. I stop outside the door. I feel bad for spying, but I'm worried. No matter how much I try to deny it, there is a bit of worry sitting in the back of my mind that I can't get rid of. I listen carefully. Silence. I listen closer. I can hear the slow, steady breathing of Stiles. He must be asleep. Suddenly, my nose picks up something. I sniff a little more. I'm overwhelmed by the scents of pain, fear, sadness and anxiety. I gasp and step back slightly. Something is surely wrong. I knock on the door quickly before opening it. I find Stiles sleeping on the ground. I kneel down next to him. His eyebrows are knitted into a frown. The scent of pain, fear, sadness and anxiety gets a lot stronger.
I gently shake Stiles awake. His eyes dart around the room before landing on me. Once he sees me, he immediately relaxes. "Are you okay?" I ask in concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Stiles says. I hear his heart jump slightly. He's lying.
"Why were you sleeping on the floor?" I ask.
"I guess I was too tired to make it to the bed." Stiles laughs. I bite my lip, unsure of what to say or do.
"Hey, uh, not that I'm unhappy with you being here, actually I really like it, but, why are you still here? Didn't you say that you'd only be here for a couple of days? It's been a week." I point out to Stiles. I watch his face fall.
"I guess I just lost track of time." He answers. Again, I hear his heart rate speed up. Another lie. What is he not telling me? "Alright," I sigh, deciding that I wasn't going to get anywhere with Stiles right now.
"But if you're going to sleep, you might as well go on the bed." I point out. Stiles nods and quickly scrambles to his feet.
"I'll be downstairs." I say as I walk out of the room. I shut the door behind me. I sigh in disappointment. Why doesn't Stiles trust me enough to tell me what's wrong? I just don't get it. I walk down the stairs back to Kira and Lydia. They stand up when they see me. "So? What happened?" Lydia asks.
"I don't know..." I reply.
"What do you mean?" Kira questions me.
"He didn't tell me anything." I say.
"Well, if there is something wrong, he will tell you when the time is right." Kira assures me.
"I hope so." I mumble.
"Come on, let's try and not be in a sad mood all day. Let's talk about something happy." Lydia chirps up, trying to lift the mood. Kira and I eagerly comply. The three of us start to talk about random things, anything to keep our minds off Daniel Miller, the Sheriff, Stiles and what Daniel could possibly be hunting.
~~~
Stiles POV
The next day, as I'm packing my school bag down in the kitchen, Scott comes up to me. He doesn't say anything, he just stands there. It's slightly creepy. I look over at him as I place the last book in my bag. I watch as his eyes dart from the locket around my neck to my eyes. He's clearly still worried about me. "What?" I ask in exasperation, swinging my bag over my back. "Nothing." Scott tries to say casually, but fails.
"Scott, stop worrying about me, okay? I'm fine." I tell him with an annoyed tone. Scott looks taken aback.
"Why do I have a hard time believing that?" Scott asks me, raising his eyebrows and folding his arms.
"Because you can be so stubborn!" I snap loudly. Scott looks a little hurt at my comment.
"I'm sorry. I just wish that you could stop asking me if I'm okay. I have heard that like, a million times in the past couple of weeks." I say, shaking my head as I walk out of the kitchen. I continue to walk out of the house, not hearing any protests from Scott. I jump into my jeep and drive to school. Scott can take his motorbike. When I finally get to school, I walk up to the front entrance. I see my friends and Theo chatting by the lockers. I sigh before opening up one of the doors and head over to them. "Hey guys." I greet them with a smile. They all reply with friendly greetings, even Theo. It is actually scary how good he is at pretending to be my friend in front of everyone. After a while, Scott joins us. He stands next to Theo and avoids eye contact with me. I try to ignore the pang of guilt and sadness inside of me. I try to join in the conversation wherever I can. The only topics being brought up are schoolwork, the aquarium field trip, the hunters and fear of more dangerous creatures coming to town. "The Nemeton is still drawing supernatural creatures here." I say.
"Yeah, I don't think there's any way we can stop that. Even before the stuff with the Nemeton happened, Beacon Hills already did attract an unusually large amount of supernatural creatures." Lydia shrugs.
"Look, if we come across any strange murders, we will be quick enough to find out what caused it and how to stop it before anything else happens." Kira assures the group.
"I think the balance is about to be tipped." Scott adds. Theo looks at him with confusion.
"What do you mean?" Theo asks.
"It was just something Deaton told me. Everything balances out. There will be a time where everything is really good, a time where things are neither good or bad, and a time when things are really bad." Scott explains.
"You think things are about to go bad?" Theo questions.
"I think things are already bad." Scott shrugs. I don't doubt him there.
"Say, Theo. How did you become a werewolf? Or were you born?" Liam asks out of sudden curiosity. We all turn to Theo. "Well... A couple years ago, I was at a skateboard park. I had fallen off my skateboard. After a few moments, I noticed something strange. My skateboard hadn't come down. I looked up to see an alpha holding my skateboard, eyes glowing red, baring his fangs. Then, he pounced." Theo explains. Ha, what a lie. Everyone seems to buy it though.
"What happened to the alpha?" Scott asks with a frown.
"He left. He turned me, but then left me alone. I didn't understand why. About a year ago, I had heard he had been killed." Theo shrugs.
"Interesting." Malia comments. Theo smiles at Malia. She returns it. A little bit of annoyance flares up inside of me. I don't want this monster being near anyone in the pack. I don't want him to hurt anyone else. The bell goes, signalling class is about to start. We all groan, but head our separate ways. I have history with Scott, Theo, Lydia, Malia and Kira. Great. We all walk into the history room where Mr Yukimura is waiting for us. We take our seats. I'm sitting behind Scott and Theo. Lydia is sitting on my right side, Malia sitting behind her. Kira is sitting on my left. Once everyone has taken their seats, Mr Yukimura starts the lesson. After a while, he hands out worksheets to complete. I start to work on it in silence. I'm able to hear all of Scott and Theo's quiet conversation. "So, Scott. What is it like being a True Alpha?" Theo asks in awe. I narrow my eyes, gripping my pen tighter. "I don't know, really. The only difference I've noticed was the one time I managed to break the mountain ash barrier. That only happened once though. Everything else is the same." Scott shrugs.
"I'm sure there's more to it than that. You just need to figure it out." Theo says.
"You might be right. Honestly though, I don't care. What I do care about is keeping my friends and family safe." Scott replies. I continue to write answers down on the worksheet. "Thanks for letting me into the pack, Scott. I know it's hard to trust an outsider." Theo tells Scott thankfully.
"It's alright, man. Besides, we knew each other in 4th grade. You're not really an outsider." Scott replies. I almost slam my head against my desk in frustration. Really, Scott? Just because you knew them in 4th grade automatically makes them trustworthy? You never even really talked to Theo! You more knew of him. You weren't ever friends. Besides, a lot can happen in a few years, as Theo has so kindly demonstrated. If it really is even the real Theo. Werewolves aren't the only shape shifters, right? "Lone wolves never make it on their own, they are always targeted by hunters." Theo states sadly.
"Don't worry. You'll be safe with us." Scott comforts Theo. The anger that has been building inside of me finally spills over the edge. One of the classroom windows completely shatter, glass spraying everywhere. All the students scream in terror, hiding under their desks. I crawl under my desk, feeling guilty. Did I really just do that? Mr Yukimura inspects the window. I look around the classroom. Glass lies everywhere. It'll take ages to clean up. The teacher sighs. "Alright, everyone. Go wait outside until I can get this sorted out." Kira's dad dismisses us. Everyone hurries out the door. Theo and the others walk over to the lockers. I resentfully join them. "What was that?" Lydia asks in confusion. I frown.
"I don't know..." I say, sounding as oblivious as I can.
"Weird." Scott shrugs. Theo looks over in my direction and gives me a small smirk. No one else notices.
"At least it got us out of class." Malia grins. We all laugh. Of course Malia would look at it that way.
"We might as well get ready for next lesson." Scott shrugs, walking over to his locker. Theo goes with him. Funnily enough, their lockers are right next to each other. Scott and Theo are getting too close for my liking. I sigh and head over to my locker.
~~~
Thankfully, the rest of my classes don't involve Theo in them. However, most of them still have Scott. He still isn't talking to me. As we write down math equations off the board, I turn to Scott. "I'm really sorry for yelling at you. As I said this morning, I'm kind of sick of people asking if I'm okay." I try to apologize again. Scott doesn't reply.
"Why aren't you talking to me? What did I do?" I ask, sounding hurt. I know what I did was wrong, but why was Scott acting like this? Does he know something that I don't? I sigh and turn back to my own work. However, I find it extremely difficult to concentrate. Lydia, who is sitting on my other side, taps my shoulder. "What happened with you and Scott?" She asks in concern. I shake my head.
"Nothing. It's fine. Don't worry about it." I give Lydia a small smile. Reluctantly, she returns back to her work. I groan and let my head rest on the table. This has been a long day. Eventually, the final bell rings. I rush out of my seat and pack up my bag. I walk with Scott out of the classroom. "Scott, talk to me!" I say desperately as we walk down the hall. Scott stops and turns around to face me. "What do you want me to say, Stiles? I was only trying to help you! I have always wanted to help you! But the last few of days, you have been lying almost non-stop. Then, this morning when I try to talk to you about it, you snap at me!" Scott replies. I sigh, rubbing a hand through my hair. I seem to be doing that a lot.
"I..." I try to reply, but I have nothing. Scott is right. I've been lying to him, and way longer than he thinks. Scott is only trying to help and I always push him away. "I'm sorry." I finally finish, my voice breaking slightly. I feel my eyes start to sting. I'm such an idiot. Scott's expression softens. "Stiles..." Scott starts, but it's too late. I turn around and hurry away from him. I hide behind the school for a while, hoping Scott doesn't come looking for me. Once I think I'm in the clear, I walk back into the school. I still need to get my books from my locker. As I open it up, I swear that someone is watching me. I shake off the feeling and continue packing up my books. As I close the locker door and turn around, I see Theo standing not too far away from me. He walks up to me and pins me up against the locker. "That was close today, Stilinski. Too close." He growls.
"Oh yeah? Well, your secret is still safe, isn't it?" I huff, pushing Theo off of me. The teenager just scoffs and starts walking away. "Don't get in the way of my plan, or you'll be sorry. See you around, Stiles." Theo calls out. I sigh as I turn around and walk out of the school.
~~~
I'm sitting on the sofa in Scott and Melissa's living room. Scott has gone to buy Melissa some dinner, who is working a late shift at the hospital. I haven't been to see Deaton in a couple of days. I guess I have been so caught up with everything. Deaton will understand, I'm sure. I groan as I sit back on the sofa. I don't know what to do. I need to warn the others about Theo. But what if Theo tells them about me? What if he makes up stuff as well, making me seem like the bad guy? What if Theo still gets away with his plans? I run my hands down my face. I need to go for a walk. I get up and leave the house. It's getting dark now, but I don't care. I walk into the woods, listening to the birds in the trees above. I try to find my way to the lake. I'll probably have a clearer head there. Suddenly, something hard hits the side of my face. I fall to the ground, my face aching. I rub the side of my face as I scramble to my feet. Surprise surprise, it's Theo. I roll my eyes. "What do you want now?" I ask tiredly.
Theo steps into the moonlight. "I'm sick and tired of you interrupting my plans." He snarls.
"What? I haven't done anything." I protest truthfully.
"I know you're thinking of telling the pack." Theo says with a smile. I don't respond.
"You know if you do that, I'll tell them all about you." Theo continues. Again, I don't say anything.
"When they know what kind of freak you are, they'll leave you forever. They'll want nothing to do with you." Theo states.
"You're wrong!" I shout, but there is a little bit of doubt in my mind.
"You can't lie to me, Stiles. I am still a werewolf. I can hear your heartbeat. You're worried that they will leave you. I'm here to confirm that they won't want to see you again. You're a slimy fish. Who would want to hang out with that?" Theo wrinkles his nose in disgust. I shake my head, slowly backing away from him. "Please stop." I whisper.
"You're a freak, Stiles! You don't belong here! And you don't belong in the ocean either. You're no good to anyone. You don't belong anywhere." Theo yells, ignoring my plea. I shake my head, closing my eyes, trying to block out Theo's words. I find myself backed up against a tree. "I know all about your family, Stiles. And you know what? I have to say, they went to pretty desperate measure to get away from you. That's how despised you are." Theo continues. My breathing starts to hitch. Tears stream down my face.
"If you want to make this world a better place, why don't you kill yourself? You're nothing. The world will be better off without you." Theo suggests in a deadly serious voice. He walks right up to me. "Better yet, I'll do it for you." Theo smirks.
Scott POV
I race through the woods, searching for Stiles. I came back from giving Mom her dinner to find Stiles not at my place, yet his jeep was still there. Sure, he could've just gone for a walk, but deep down, I just knew there was something wrong. I also felt terrible for how I treated him at school. He didn't deserve it, and what I said looked like it struck a nerve for Stiles. I need to tell him I'm sorry. As I race into a clearing, I spot Theo looming over Stiles, who is cowering by a tree. "If you want to make this world a better place, why don't you kill yourself? You're nothing. The world will be better off without you. Better yet, I'll do it for you." Theo smirks as he raises his arm, eyes glowing yellow, claws out, ready to tear open Stiles' throat. I rush forward while roaring angrily, quickly shifting into my werewolf form. I don't think I've ever been this angry before. No one can talk to my best friend like that! No one can hurt him like that, try to kill him and get away with it! I jump onto Theo, scratching deep into his skin. Blood seeps through Theo's shirt. Theo stumbles back, away from Stiles. I jump off of Theo and kick him to the ground. Theo growls at me. I growl louder. I start punching him. He manages to punch me a few times as well. I think I hear my jaw crack. I'm just glad I can heal fast. Theo pushes me off of him and scrambles to his feet. I feel blood dripping down my nose. I breathe heavily, preparing for the next attack.
"What the hell are you doing? I trusted you!" I shout at Theo. He only smirks.
"I guess I fooled you then." Theo answers as he rushes at me. With another surge of anger, I run to Theo and pin him up against a tree. I grab him by the throat. Theo struggles against my grip, but I keep a hold of him. I let go of one hand and punch him in the face as hard as I can. I keep going until Theo slackens in my grip, falling unconscious. I throw him to the ground. I smirk in satisfaction. Now that the drama is over, I walk back over to Stiles, who is staring at me with shock. "How long have you been here? Why were you here? Are you okay?" Stiles asks, all of his words tumbling over each other. I shift back into human form, my nose already healing. I wipe the blood away from my mouth. "I came home to find you weren't there. For some reason, I knew something was wrong, so I ran into the woods, trying to find you. Luckily I did." I reply. Suddenly, a realization hits me.
"Wait. The day that you came to school with all those bruises and cuts. The day that Theo first arrived. He did that to you?" I ask loudly. Stiles nods, looking down at the ground.
"That's why you always returned late! Theo was beating you up and threatening you!" I exclaim in horror. Stiles says nothing. My heart feels like it's shattering. "Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper, stepping closer to Stiles.
"I didn't think you or anyone else in the pack would believe me. You all seemed to trust Theo so much. Besides, if I told you, I'd be afraid that he would hurt someone else." Stiles admits. I give Stiles a hug.
"I'm sorry for putting you through a hard time. You didn't deserve it." I apologize as I pull away.
"I'm sorry too." Stiles replies.
"He had a plan for you, Scott." Stiles adds, biting his lip slightly.
"Plan? What do you mean?" I frown.
"He wanted to take your True Alpha powers. He was going to kill you." Stiles sighs heavily. I rub the back of my head, trying to figure out how to answer. "But how could he take my powers? Only a beta bitten by me would be able to steal it." I mumble in confusion.
"I don't know, Scott, but Theo definitely had something in mind." Stiles tells me. I nod slowly.
"Okay, well, I can assure you he won't get away with it." I promise Stiles. We both look around to the unconscious Theo.
"What should we do with it?" Stiles asks. I can't help but laugh.
"What? He's not human. He's a total monster." Stiles shrugs.
"Yeah, I agree with you." I reply. We walk over to Theo.
"Let's call Derek." Stiles suggests.
"Good idea," I reply as I pull out my phone. I dial Derek's number.
"Scott? What's wrong?" Derek asks, getting straight to the point.
"Well, you know Theo? He's not the guy that I thought he was. Can you get here as soon as possible?" I ask hopefully, anger lacing my voice as I speak about Theo. "Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a few." Derek hangs up. I put the phone away. I sigh sadly. Stiles frowns.
"What?" Stiles asks.
"I'm really sorry. You didn't deserve Theo to bully you like that. I hope you know that he's wrong and you shouldn't listen to him. Your father needs you. The pack needs you. I need you." I reply in a serious tone.
"Don't worry, Scott. I know." Stiles says reassuringly.
"Good." I nod with a smile. A few minutes later, Derek shows up.
"What are we doing with him exactly?" Derek asks, eyebrows raised.
"Uh, maybe put him in the closed unit at Eichen? Make sure that his cell will be strong enough to hold him. Don't just rely on mountain ash." Stiles suggests.
"Okay. This should be fun." Derek grins. He picks up Theo and walks away.
"I love how he didn't even question what he did wrong." Stiles laughs.
"Yeah, me too. I guess he trusts my judgement." I shrug.
"Come on, we better go." I say, starting to walk out of the woods, Stiles following closely behind.