Songs for this chapter:
Don't Wake Me - Robots Don't Sleep
War - Former Vandal
Into The Unknown - Blackchords
Stiles' P.O.V.
I sprinted through the trees as fast as my legs could carry me. I had found the wreck, and I needed to show Scott everything I had found.
"Scott!" I screamed through the darkness, and I felt myself collide with something else.... A tree. The contact knocked the breath out of my chest and sent me to the ground.
"Stiles?" I opened my eyes to see Scott standing over me, trying to hide a laugh. "You okay dude?"
"Mhm, yeah..." I groaned and sat up.
"Did you find anything?"
"Yeah, follow me." I led Scott through the woods, though I wasn't quite sure where I was going. I could barely see anything, but when I tripped over something metal, I was aware that I had found it. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, turning on the flash.
"This is it." I turned to Scott, who crouched over by the car, running his fingers over the large scratches.
"You're right. This couldn't have been an ordinary animal."
I was about ready to tell Scott to see if we could find any bodies in the car, but I was interrupted by my phone buzzing. I shoved my hand in my pocket and pulled it out, smiling once I saw Valerie's name.
*Hey, where are you at?
*Out in the woods with Scott. I'll come over in a few minutes.
I tapped "send" and I then felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey there, stranger." I spun around to see Valerie with a big grin on her face, her hands in the pockets of her skinny jeans.
"What the- ? How did you-?" I stuttered. She shrugged and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"You guys still looking?" she asked.
"Yeah, I think we found our next clue." I stepped aside so she could take in the view of the wreck. Valerie crouched down and examined the deep scratches on the surface of the car.
"This is..." she whispered. Her head suddenly snapped around, and she rose from the ground.
"What's wrong?" Scott asked.
"Stay here." Valerie took off into the trees, leaving Scott and I alone. I heard howling and I froze completely. I heard footsteps and Valerie came back into view, breathless. Her green eyes were wide open.
"Guys...I need to tell you something."
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Wait...She's what?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but it did seem logical.
"Malia's a coyote..." I whispered. "Malia's a coyote?!" I was kind of freaking out a little bit.
"Trust me, Stiles. I saw one yesterday, and her eyes glowed. Now that isn't normal." By the look on her face, I could tell she was dead serious.
"Wait, so... She transformed on the full moon, caused a car accident, and tried to eat her mom and sister?"
"Yes!"
"Oh God..." I paced back and forth. "Guys, how are we supposed to...I don't even know..."
"Her dad is after her. He's set traps in every part of the woods. We need to find some way to turn her back, or he'll kill his own daughter."
"How?" Scott asked.
"I don't know."
"We can figure this out later. Let's go home, I'm beyond exhausted."
•••••••••
The next day, I had no focus. How could Malia be a coyote? Honestly, I didn't even know that werecoyotes existed. The entire day, I turned over the possibilities in my head over and over and over......
"I need a volunteer to read chapter 18. Mr. Stilinski?" My head snapped up suddenly to Mr. Yukimura. I was so caught off guard. Wait, I couldn't read this. I can't read, period. I keep forgetting about this whole "losing my mind" thing.
"Um, maybe...Maybe someone else could do it?" Mr. Yukimura didn't budge.
"Mr. Yukimura," Valerie raised her hand,"I can read."
Valerie's P.O.V.
"I appreciate you volunteering, Ms. Hampton, however, I called on Stiles. Come up front, please." I gave Stiles a small smile and he reluctantly walked up to the podium. His brown eyes seemed to vibrate in his skull as he gripped the sides of the podium so tight that the blood was being drained from his knuckles. He began to exhale loud puffs of air, his face growing paler by the minute. He looked up, sweat forming on his forehead. I rose from my seat and grabbed his arm.
"Uh, I should take him to the nurses office." I placed my hand on his back, his shirt damp with sweat. I pushed open the door of the luckily empty boy's bathroom and forced Stiles inside.
"Stiles, what's happening? Is... Is this a panic attack?"
"I don't... I don't know..." He gripped the edges of the sink as his broad chest rose up and down, sweat developing at his hairline.
"Stiles, hey, look at me!" I grabbed his shoulders, yet his eyes were forced shut.
"I can't... breathe..."
"Hey, just think about something else... Something else, anything else." It was no use. He was growing weaker, his knees wobbling as he held onto me.
I had only one more thing in mind.
Without thinking about anything, I pressed my lips onto Stiles', holding them in place. His eyes widened as I grabbed his face in my hands and moved my lips against his. I gently pulled away and blushed.
"Um, I... I read in a book once.... that holding your breath can stop a panic attack, so.... When I kissed you... You held your breath." And it had worked. Stiles breathing slowed, the color beginning to return to his face.
"That... That's really smart..." I smiled and nodded. He shook his head and slid onto the floor.
"What the hell is happening to me?" he cried.
"We'll figure it out. You're gonna be fine," I squeezed his hand and waited until his breathing had slowed to lead him out.
Scott met us after class, and showed us a map of the Preserve along with a text from Isaac, telling us to Deaton's immediantly.
~Stiles' P.O.V.~
I helped her into the passenger seat, and Scott joined us moments later. I took a deep breath and drove to the vet's office. I was a little bit nervous. I mean, what if nothing works? What if Mr. Tate actually kills his own daughter? I had a hundred more questions by the time we reached Deaton's office, I actually thought that I might have another panic attack. We hurried inside to see that Allison, Isaac, and Lydia had beat us there. Deaton was waiting for us, three small viles of clear liquid on the table in front of him.
"This," he motioned to the viles of liquid, "is a horse tranquilizer. It is expected to work on a werecoyote within seconds. However, I only have three, so whoever's shooting better be a damn good shot."
"Allison's a perfect shot." Scott smiled.
"At least she used to be." Isaac leaned in the doorway with a smug look on his face. And that... that stupid scarf, of course.
"She can do it," Scott defended.
"If we manage to find the thing...." Isaac countered. I totally lost it.
"Okay, what is the point of him? Seriously, what is his purpose? Aside from the persistent negativity, and the scarf? What's up with the scarf anyway? It's 65 degrees out!" Isaac bit his lip and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Look, let me just express the main question here that I know everyone is thinking," he said, "How do we turn a werecoyote into a girl if she hasn't been a girl for eight years?" I looked around the room; everyone looked lost. They could see that Isaac had a point.
"I can do it." Scott spoke up.
"But Scott, you can't turn.." I reminded him.
"Let me try. There's gotta be a way. Deucalion was able to make me turn using just his voice. I can figure it out."
"Scott, this is a werecoyote-" Valerie began.
"Just let me try. Please. We're running out of time here." Valerie frowned for a second, then nodded in approval.
"Well, if we're gonna catch this thing, we'd better get going," I said, checking my phone.
Everyone nodded and we loaded my Jeep. I didn't stop for anything, we had a goal that we were going to achieve. I pulled up to the entrance of the woods quickly. Isaac and Allison took the tranquilizer and Scott, Lydia, Valerie, and I went into the heart of the woods to see if we could spot her. We explored the heart of the woods, somewhat close to the wreck. I suddenly heard something in the trees, and our heads snapped to the right. It was Malia, and she was carrying something. The doll we had found. Scott didn't hesitate. He threw down his bag and sprinted after her.
"Scott, wait!" But he was long gone. I knew from experience that once Scott got going, there wasn't a way to stop him. I turned to Valerie and Lydia, who both looked worried.
"I guess we keep looking then.." Lydia said. Suddenly a thought popped into my head. A thought was like a missing piece in the puzzle.
"Guys, wait." Valerie and Lydia turned around to see what I had to say. I removed my phone from my pocket and tapped "photo gallery". I tapped a photo that I had taken in the Tate's home when I went there with my dad to talk to Mr. Tate. It was a photo of Malia and her sister.
"Is that her sister?" Valerie asked.
"Yeah... Look, there's the doll." I pointed to the doll wrapped in the arms of..."
"Wait a second." Lydia said suddenly. "Malia isn't holding the doll. Her sister is. Which means..."
"The doll belonged to her sister." Valerie whispered.
"I get it now! Malia is bringing the doll to the wreck. Kind of like bringing flowers to a grave." I finally understood everything. Everything fit together. But Scott didn't know this.
"Stiles, Scott needs to know. She's probably headed there right now!" Valerie said. I typed in his number quickly and waited for his answer. I tried several times, but I kept recieving his voicemail.
"He's not picking up..." I heard rustling in the trees once more and my head snapped in the direction of the sound. Scott ran on all-fours after Malia, who still had the doll clamped between her jaws. My eyes followed them until they were out of sight, and then I heard a howl.
"That's what I'm talkin' about..." I grinned, knowing that Scott had caught her.
"Stiles?" I heard Valerie squeak from behind me. I turned my head slowly to Valerie's foot caught right in the center of a steel jaw trap that was ready to snap.
"Oh my god..." Lydia covered her mouth with her hand.
"Valerie, don't move." I commanded her, trying to stay as calm as possible. I approached the trap and looked up at her.
"Maybe... There could be directions or something?" Valerie suggested. My shaking hands reached out for the small red label on the side.
I squinted my eyes as I tried desperately to put the letters in order, but they were jumbled in my mind.
"There's just one problem...." I looked up at her terrified face and frowned. "I can't read." Her eyes widened in fear and she pressed her lips together.
"Stiles, when have you ever needed directions, am I right?" Lydia said from behind me.
"She's right, Stiles..." Valerie said stiffly. "You can do it. Figure. It. Out."
I nodded and my fingers found a cold metal wheel. I knew I could dismantle it.
"Ready?" I asked Valerie. "Lift up your foot on three." She swallowed hard and nodded.
"One, two, three-"
The trap snapped and her foot shot into the air, causing her to fall backwards and into my arms. She turned her head and our eyes locked as she breathed out, relieved.
"Thank you..." she whispered.
"Come on, let's get back."
I led Lydia and Valerie through the woods and to the Jeep, where my dad waited. A girl with long brown hair stood shivering next to my dad, wearing his jacket. Scott had done it. He had found Malia. We had solved the case, and now we had one less problem to worry about.