"I know something's going on."
Mason sat down on Liam's bed beside Tessa. Liam was on her other side.
"With both of you actually, though Tessa's much better at hiding it."
Mason looked pointedly at Liam who looked at the floor like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.
"I know you don't want to talk about it. But you're still my best friends. And um..." Mason trailed off, "considering the fact that the last good friend I made turned out to be a professional killer, I'm thinking that I don't have too many options for new ones."
Tessa winced, remembering Garrett and Violet.
"So, when you guys are ready to talk, talk." He continued. "Until then, I know I can kick your ass at at least one of these games."
Liam smiled and Tessa scoffed, raising her eyebrows at their friend.
Mason hesitated. "I know I can kick Liam's ass at at least one of these games?" he corrected.
Tessa nodded in approval. Liam chose a game, holding it up for their approval.
"Never played this one," he said.
"Bring it on, boys," Tessa smirked.
They laughed and the three sat at the end of Liam's bed, Tessa ready to kick some ass.
~~~
Tessa woke up the next morning, exhausted and dreading going to school. Today was their big lacrosse game and most of their team still sucked. There was a very small chance that they would actually win.
Liam and Tessa were currently following Stiles, their lacrosse gear in hand as he rambled on about Scott.
"Everything's fine. I got a text from him this morning and he said he might be a little late."
"Well, how late is late?" Tessa asked.
"Is he always late?" Liam questioned. "We're playing Devenford Prep again and this times it's an actual game. He shouldn't be late."
"Who shouldn't be late?"
"Shit," Tessa muttered as coach approached them.
Stiles and Liam looked at each other and then they both turned to Tessa.
She sighed. Idiots.
"Scott and Kira," she explained.
"They might be slightly late," Stiles added.
"Wh—wh—wh—wha—Slightly late is still late" Coach stammered. "What're they doing?"
Liam and Tessa glanced down awkwardly.
"They're—" Stiles paused. "They're doing something that's going to make them slightly late."
"What could Scott and Kira be doing right now that's more important than playing in the first game?"
Stiles squinted at the man while Tessa grimaced and Liam looked down, his eyes wide. Stiles glanced at Liam again before looking to Tessa, waiting for Coach to put two and two together.
"Oh, Coach," Stiles said.
Tessa grimaced at the man as a look of realization came over his face. The three teenagers slowly dispersed, leaving the man standing there stunned. They got ready and made their way out to the field.
"They're still not here," Liam worried as they sat on the bench next to Stiles.
"Okay, what's really going on?" Stiles asked. "Are you nervous about the full moon? It's not for another twenty-four hours."
Liam glanced up at the moon in the night sky.
"Liam? You're gonna be fine. Okay? Just try not to rage out on anyone."
"Wow, thank you Stiles, for those wonderful words of wisdom." Tessa rolled her eyes at his unhelpful advice.
He ignored her.
"You're not worried?" Liam asked.
"Okay, I'm mildly concerned," Stiles admitted. "Mildly."
From her place beside Stiles Tessa could see what he typed in his phone in a text to Scott.
How late are you gonna be? Very worried. Very.
She rolled her eyes at him as he hit send. Liam spoke up from beside her, not having seen what the older boy had just sent.
"We're gonna lose without him."
"No, we're not. We can be just as good without Scott. Okay, I've been practicing. Let me tell you something." Stiles pulled on his gloves. "I'm getting good. Really good."
~~~
Stiles was not getting "really good." He wasn't even good. Terrible, would be the most accurate word to describe him, in fact. Absolutely terrible. Worse than usual.
Tessa sighed as the whistle blew and the other team scooped the ball right out from under Stiles, the boy falling on the ground as the other players raced off.
She couldn't even count the amount of times Stiles had fumbled and dropped the ball, was knocked over by another player or trampled by a herd of Devenford boys.
After one particularly nasty fall, Liam and Tessa crouched in front of him. They didn't need words to communicate as they stared at the boy on the ground.
"Yeah. I'm gonna call Scott again," Stiles agreed with their silent glares.
The score was zero to three with Devenford in the lead. Beacon Hills was losing and it wasn't looking like they were going to pull ahead any time soon.
"Come on!" Coach screamed angrily as the other team scored again.
The whistle blew and they returned to the bench.
"Alright. Neither of them are answering," Stiles informed them as they sat next to him. "I gotta go see what's going on."
"You're leaving? What're you gonna tell Coach?" Liam asked
They glanced over to where Coach was throwing lacrosse balls angrily at the ground, cursing at them as he did.
"Uh, you don't tell him anything. Okay?"
Liam and Tessa glanced at Stiles skeptically.
"Liam, Tessa, you're gonna be okay. Alright?" He patted them both on the shoulder before he raced off as the whistle blew.
The two siblings walked onto the field. Liam paused. Tessa could tell he was listening to Stiles who was talking to his dad and Malia in the stands. She waited for him a few steps ahead.
"Liam!" Coach yelled, causing Liam to jump. "Get on the field!"
Liam obeyed and Tessa patted his shoulder as they took their positions. The whistle blew and almost immediately they lost the ball to the other team.
Liam faced the other team, suddenly freezing in the middle of the field.
"Liam, for the love of god, move!" Coach yelled.
The other players raced past him as Tessa jogged to his side.
"Liam," she panted.
"I'm fine. Come on," he took off before she could get in another word.
Devenford scored again.
A minute later, Liam managed to scoop up the ball and took off running across the field.
"Come on Liam," Tessa muttered as she shoved another Devenford boy out of the way for him.
He had almost made it to the goal when another player smashed into him, sending him flying to the ground. Both boys ripped off their helmets and Tessa saw Brett standing above Liam as she raced to his side.
Crouching next to her brother, she glared up at Brett. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"Because you're afraid," he told Liam. "I can smell it on you from across the field. And you," he turned to Tessa, "you reek of anxiety."
She scowled at him.
"Are you hurt?" The tall boy asked.
"No," Liam growled.
"Are you still alive?"
"Obviously," Liam snarled.
"Then get up," Brett demanded.
Tessa helped pull Liam to his feet as the ref approached them.
"You good to play?" He asked.
Liam nodded. The man turned to Brett.
"Plan on pulling something like that again?"
"Only if I have to," Brett replied, smirking before he rejoined his team.
Liam and Tessa put their helmets back on as they watched him go.
~~~
Tessa sat beside Liam in the locker room. They had lost the game to Devenford and Stiles wasn't answering his phone. Tessa was bandaging her strained wrist from when one of the Devenford boys had shoved her to the ground and she had landed on it.
"You okay?" A voice asked.
They looked up the see Brett approaching.
"We lost," Liam shrugged.
"But you're okay, right?" He gestured to Tessa's wrist.
She squinted a the boy as Liam scoffed. Why did he suddenly care?
"Why'd you do that?" Liam asked. "Why'd you help me?"
"Because of Scott," Brett answered. "And you," he looked at Tessa briefly. "He saved me. He saved all of us."
The siblings watched him curiously. Tessa didn't think Brett remembered her saving him from Violet after the scrimmage. Apparently he did.
"You don't know how lucky you are."
"What do you mean?" Liam asked.
"Scott's a true alpha," Brett explained. "That means he didn't get his powers because he was born with it. He didn't get it by stealing or killing someone. He earned it."
Tessa glanced at Liam.
"You're not strong just because you can lift a lot of weight now or because you have some crazy powers. You're strong because you endure. Satomi calls it strength of character. You're lucky to have him."
Brett seemed to ponder something before coming closer. Liam and Tessa tensed.
The boy towered over them for a second before he crouched in front of Tessa. Liam let out a low growl from beside her.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Brett promised.
She watched him skeptically as he reached out, taking her wrist gently in his hands. Liam hadn't relaxed beside her and she could see his eyes begin to glow as Brett touched her.
She gasped when she felt the pain start to subside from her wrist. Black veins flowed up Brett's arm as he watched her face carefully. Tessa let out a shaky breath as the last of the pain left, Brett holding onto her arm a second longer.
Liam relaxed but he still didn't let his guard down completely. Brett stood up slowly, the two siblings tilting their heads up to see his face as he stood in front of them.
Without another word, Brett turned and quietly left, the door swinging shut behind him. Liam and Tessa sat in shock for a moment, wondering what the hell had just happened. Brett Talbot, the boy who used to mercilessly bully them at their old school, had just helped them.
It was like their whole world had turned upside down. And it had, in more ways than one.