━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙑, 𝘼𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙗 𝙖 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧. At the same time, the doorbell rang.

"Stiles, go open the door." The girl ordered between two sips.

"What ?" He exclaimed, bewildered. "You're standing, I'm sitting and I should be the one opening the door ?"

"Yes, exactly." Aibee retorted before walking upstairs.

⠀⠀ Annoyed, Stiles sighed and got up from the couch. When he opened the door, Scott was in front of him with Liam, leaning on his shoulder. He seemed confused and terrified. Stiles's eyes widened as he saw him He then gave Scott a surprised look.

"What are we doing here ?" Liam asked. "I want to go to the hospital."

"Scott, what's going on ?"

"It's a long story." He replied. "I'll explain it to you later. Can you take care of him ? I have to make sure no one followed us."

"What ? But-"

"I know you can handle the situation." Scott interrupted, leaving Stiles alone with Liam.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

♫𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

8 Graves - Numb

Ariana Grande - motive

The Neighbourhood - Lurk

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"That's how you handle the situation ?" Scott said as he found Liam in the bathroom, lying in the bathtub, his body completely covered with duct tape.

"I panicked."

⠀⠀ The teenager gestured to try to get rid of his ties. His mouth was bandaged and he mumbled unintelligible sounds with panicked looks. Scott sighed before closing the curtains on him.

"So, you bit him." Stiles said, sitting down on his bed.

"Yes." Scott replied, next to him.

"And you kidnapped him."

"Yes."

"And you brought him here."

"I couldn't take him to my house, my mom would have freaked out."

"Well, you're lucky my father is on duty tonight, otherwise I'm not sure he would have tolerated what we're doing right now."

"I'm convinced that he would still have a better reaction than my mom."

"Maybe, but I don't want to know how Aibee will react if she sees him."

"Sorry." Scott said. "I forgot she was here. How is it going between you two ?"

"Great." Stiles replied with unconcealed sarcasm. She's not trying to turn my life into a nightmare at all."

"That's her way of showing you that she loves you, right ?"

"I especially think that she likes to torture me if you want my opinion."

⠀⠀Scott laughed for a moment then seemed to be serious again.

"What are we going to do ?" He asked, worried.

"I don't know."

"I can't believe Araya's prediction was true."

"We need a plan."

"What do you have in mind ?"

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀ Still trapped, Liam was now in Stiles' room, tied to a chair.

"Alright, I'll remove the tape from your mouth." Stiles said. "If you scream, I'll put it back so be a nice little boy, okay ?"

⠀⠀ The young man glared at him and nodded his head. Stiles approached him and then yanked the tape. Liam gritted his teeth. His lips were on fire.

"I guess you must have seen a lot of confusing things tonight, but now more confusing things will happen, so you better tells us everything about all the confusing things you saw so we can be less confused with ourselves." Stiles said.

"What ?" Liam asked, confused.

"Let me do it." Scott said. "What he meant was that we want to know exactly what happened at school."

"You bit me." Liam retorted, dryly. "That's what happened."

"That's a little bit rude considering he's also the one who saved your life." Stiles added.

"So what, I should thank you for almost breaking my leg and taking me hostage ?"

"This isn't a hostage." Scott replied.

"If he talks to the police, they're going to think it was." Stiles said. "Are you going to talk to the police ?"

"I don't care what the cops will think." Liam spat. "I just want to go home."

"Listen, we're trying to protect you." Scott explained. "What I did to you... It's going to change you."

"Unless it kills you." Stiles added.

⠀⠀Liam looked at him, terrified.

"What ?" He asked, panicked.

"Stiles ?"

"What ?"

"Shut up."

"W-What are you exactly ?" Liam asked. "And what about that woman ? What are you ? Vampires ?"

"Vampires ?" Stiles laughed. "That's ridiculous, everyone knows they don't exist."

"I'm not crazy. I know what I saw."

⠀⠀Liam looked down and stared at the floor for a few moments.

"Am I going to die ?"

"No." Scott said to reassure him. "Nobody is going to die, okay ? Everything will be alright."

"Even if there's more chance things get worse" Stiles added.

"Stiles !"

"What ? I'm being realistic ! That kid's life will change forever and he won't be able to do anything without his future being endangered. Hopefully, if he manages to survive-"

⠀⠀ He was interrupted by Liam's sobs.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

⠀⠀ Tears ran down the cheeks of the teenage boy.

"We have to release him." Scott said. "Help me."

⠀⠀Stiles and him removed the rope around Liam.

"Liam, how are you ?" Scott asked. "We're sorry."

"Yeah, really sorry." Stiles said.

⠀⠀ The young man stood up, his head down. He was silent for a moment then turned his back on them. Suddenly, he grabbed the chair to which he was attached and crushed it on Scott's back, who fell on the ground. Stiles stepped back, taken by surprise.

"Liam, what-"

⠀⠀Liam violently punched him in the face. Stunned, Stiles hit the wall behind him. Liam rushed out of the room. He thought of going back there to get his shoes back, but gave up the idea when he saw Scott and Stiles running after him.

"Hey !" Stiles shouted. "Come back right now !"

⠀⠀Liam ran faster in the hallway. All of a sudden, one of the doors suddenly opened in his path. Aibee emerged from her room and he stopped abruptly to avoid bumping into her. Intrigued by his presence, she stared at him.

"Hi." She said.

⠀⠀ Frightened, Liam screamed before running away. Seconds later, Stiles arrived at Aibee's side, out of breath.

"Stiles ? What is happening ?"

⠀⠀ At the same time, Scott appeared behind him.

"Scott !" Aibee exclaimed.

⠀⠀ She stiffened and widened her eyes, remembering she was wearing pajamas. She blushed and closed the door of her room, looking for a less compromising outfit inside her wardrobe.

⠀⠀Scott turned towards Stiles, frowning. He shrugged and dragged him to the other side of the hallway. When they found Liam, he was limping towards the door.

"Got you !" Stiles exclaimed, jumping on him. "How do you feel now, huh ? Stupid kid."

⠀⠀ He snickered, proud of himself, until he realized the person under him was none other than Scott.

"Your plan sucks too." Scott grumbled.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"Scott bit someone ?" Peter asked, leaning against the stairs of his loft.

"It was about time, don't you think ?" Kate said, watching her wrists heal. "The bite is an inevitable step."

"Yes, but you said he bit the same person as you. That's pretty twisted. What where you doing at the school ?"

"I was in the woods when I heard noise around the school. There was this boy on the lacrosse field. His attitude immediately caught my attention. I could feel his rage and his anger. He looked very intimidating for a simple human being. He had the perfect profile. Everything was fine until McCall showed up and tried to interfere as usual."

"What was he doing there ?"

"I don't know, but they seemed to know each other."

⠀⠀ She got up from her chair and stood in front of Peter.

"Anyways, it doesn't matter now that my pack is finally complete." She said.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you."

Kate frowned.

"There was a double bite. In this situation, everything depends on the chronological order. The one who gives the last bite cancels the mark of the first one and takes the advantage. It's that simple."

"So, that means-"

"That means this boy is going to become Scott's beta and you miserably failed once again."

⠀⠀Peter walked over towards her. His face was now only a few inches away from hers.

"Do you still believe that you still don't need my help ?" He whispered.

"To be honest, I don't care." Kate said. "Tonight, I saw what Scott McCall was capable of."

⠀⠀A perfidious smile lit up her face.

"What do you have in mind ?"

"Well, maybe I can't have the Beta, but now, I know how to get to the Alpha."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"Do you want an ice bag ?" Aibee asked as Stiles was massaging his head.

"Yes, please."

"I was talking to Scott."

"Uh, yeah." He said.

⠀⠀Aibee gave him a happy smile before walking towards the fridge. She then sat between the two boys in the kitchen. She threw an ice bag at Stiles.

⠀⠀ He reached out his hand to catch it, but slipped off his stool and fell on the ground. Aibee and Scott looked at him with deep pity.

"Remind me why he's in the team again ?" She asked.

"He... actually... I have no idea." Scott replied.

"I got it !" Stiles exclaimed, standing up proudly.

⠀⠀Aibee ignored him and focused her attention on Scott. Delicately, she began to dab her face with the ice bag.

"I don't know how you managed to fall down the stairs, but you were lucky to get away with just a few scratches." She said.

⠀⠀ She paused then frowned.

"Whoah, that's weird."

"What ?" Scott asked.

"I swear you had a scratch on your cheek just three seconds ago."

"Really ?" He replied, acting surprised.

⠀⠀Stiles stiffened on his stool, panicked.

"Yes, I probably hallucinated. You have perfect skin, Scott McCall."

⠀⠀Aibee plunged her brown eyes into his. Scott wasn't sure of it, but it seemed like she was sitting closer to him than before.

"Thanks." He replied.

"No, thank you for coming. You should stop by more often."

⠀⠀ She put a hand on his thigh. He swallowed.

"I'd really like to get to know you better." She added. "I've always thought you were cool."

"That's not true at all." Stiles retorted. "You used to say all the time he was a nerdy who smelled bad and-"

⠀⠀ She hit him in the stomach with her elbow and he fell on the ground, gasping. She giggled under Scott's confused look.

"Do not pay attention." She said. "He probably fell on his head."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀ As soon as Scott left the Stilinski's house, Aibee waited patiently for him to start his motorcycle before rushing to the kitchen to hit Stiles in the shoulder.

"What was that for ?" He exclaimed, bewildered.

"Because of you, Scott is going to think I'm a haughty and superficial girl !"

"And he won't be wrong." Stiles whispered.

"Repeat what you said ?" Aibee threatened.

"I'm just saying that in the future, you should accept what you've said in the past."

"Maybe in the future you could say things with a little more tact. Did I ever tell you : "Hey Stiles, is it me or a firecracker exploded in your hair ?"

"You just did."

"Absolutely." She retorted, arrogantly. "Just a tip, at this point you should just consider shaving your head."

⠀⠀Stiles scowled, annoyed.

"Are you going to tell me who's the boy I saw earlier ?"

"You mean the boy who ran out of the house screaming ?"

⠀⠀Aibee nodded and folded her arms as she waited for an answer.

"He's a friend." Stiles said. "He was in a hurry because he remembered he had something urgent to do."

"Why all your friends are so weird ? Except for Scott, of course. Honestly, you should avoid bringing these kind of people home."

"Among "these kind of people" do you also include Miguel ?"

"I know he's your friend, but you have to admit that something is not quite right about thay guy."

"Thats funny, I thought you were obsessed with him."

"I'm not."

"Really ?" Stiles retorted before imitating a female voice. "Oh, Miguel ! You're such a good kisser !"

⠀⠀Aibee gave him a murderous look.

"Did you listen to me while I was sleeping ?" She exclaimed, scandalized.

⠀⠀Stiles squealed with laughter.

"Oh, Miguel ! What ? You bought me a new eyeliner ? You are so romantic !"

⠀⠀ Furious, Aibee slipped an ice bag under his shirt and he screamed in pain as she left the kitchen.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"Stiles ?" Malia asked. "Are you sleeping ?"

⠀⠀ The sound of a snore answered her.

"Stiles !" She exclaimed, pushing her knee into his ribs.

⠀⠀ The young man suddenly opened his eyes with a muffled scream.

"What is happening ?" He asked, straightening himself up while rubbing his eyes.

"I can't stop thinking." She said, looking at the ceiling of the bedroom. "I'm asking myself a lot of questions about that new boy at school."

"Who ? Isaac ?"

"Yes."

"Are you kidding me ?" Stiles exclaimed. "That's why you woke me up ? What time is it ?"

"Are you friends with that guy ?" Malia asked, ignoring his complaints.

"What ?"

"Do you trust him ?"

⠀⠀Stiles sighed and laid down onto the mattress.

"No." He growled, plunging his head into his pillow.

"Scott trusts him ?"

"I don't know."

"Is he a werewolf too ?"

"I just want..."

"Is he on the side of the good guys or the bad guys?

"To sleep..."

⠀⠀ As his eyelids were closing slowly, an alarm echoed loudly, causing him to fall out of the bed, panicked.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀ While she was taking the elevator, Melissa was chatting with Gary Sanders, a surgeon transferred to Beacon Hills four months earlier. He was a man in his forties. He had brown skin and was tall and muscular.

"It's crazy." He said. "I took a look in the archives and this hospital has experienced a strange amount of damages lately. The insurance won't cover us. We must reduce our budgets and-"

⠀⠀ He paused when he heard the gurgles that Melissa's stomach was making. Embarrassed, she put a hand on her belly.

"Someone is starving." He joked.

⠀⠀ She laughed.

"I'm so overwhelmed that I haven't had time to eat anything. I need a good dinner.

⠀⠀Gary looked at her, amused.

"It's seven in the morning." He said.

"Oh. Well, I guess I also need a watch."

⠀⠀ She laughed again and moaned suddenly, placing a hand on her forehead. Her skin was pale and dark circles were visible under the eyes.

"Melissa, your day is over. Why don't you go home and rest ? I feel like you're the only person who's working that much here. You really need to take a break."

⠀⠀ The doors of the elevator opened. Suddenly, a blond, shirtless and visibly wounded young man appeared in front of them. He collapsed on the ground while a puddle of blood was spreading around him. Nurses ran towards him.

"Believe me." Melissa added. "There is never a break in this hospital."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"How's my favorite dancer ?" Rachel said, standing next to Aibee's locker.

⠀⠀ Wearing a white crop top with skinny jeans and heels, she looked like she had just escaped from the pages of a fashion magazine page with her wasp waist and her slender legs.

"You know I can't stop thinking about your performance yesterday ? I loved it so much that when I came home I tried to reproduce some steps, but I don't have your flexibility. I have to rehearse again, so I thought that one day you could maybe show me some movements."

"You want to learn my choreography ?"

"Yes and I don't think I'm the only one in the group who wants to dance like you."

⠀⠀ Since Aibee had joined the dancing class, all the eyes were on her now that her performance was everywhere on the Internet. Already popular, she was now extremely popular.

"Hi." A girl said, interrupting them.

"Hey." Rachel said, recognizing her. "You must be-"

"Call her Cat." Aibee whispered.

"Of course. Cat. What's up ?"

"I'm glad you remember me." The teenage girl said, playing with her long blonde strands.

⠀⠀ Her bushy hair were falling down on her shoulders, but were very entangled and poorly maintained.

"I came to give you your necklace." She said, handing Rachel a long pendant, at the end of which hung three small golden rings.

⠀⠀Rachel widened her eyes while touching her neck.

"You forgot it in the dance room."

"That's weird." Rachel said, taking her necklace back. "This is the first time that it happens to me."

"Cat, can I ask you a question ?" Aibee asked.

"Yes." Cat replied.

"Orlando Bloom is your father ?"

"No."

"Your father-in-law ?"

"No."

"Your uncle ?"

"No."

"Your cousin ?"

"Not a chance."

"Thanks for bringing it back to me." Rachel said, tying the pendant around her neck. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost it."

"It has a sentimental value ?" Cat asked.

"A familal value."

"No, seriously." Aibee insisted. "I want to know what kind of link you have with Orlando Bloom."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀ Walking in the hallway of the high school, Liam was heading towards his first class of the morning when Scott suddenly stopped in front of him. Panicked, he rushed in the opposite direction but came face to face with Stiles.

"Liam." Scott said.

"Leave me alone." The young man spat in a threatening tone. "Stop following me or I swear to you that this time I will call the cops."

"I need to talk to you." Scott added. "We... we're brothers now".

"What ?" Liam asked, looking at him, confused.

"Oh God." Stiles whispered, shaking his head.

"The bite... the bite is a gift."

"Scott, stop. Please. Stop."

"What is he saying ?"

"Listen kid, if you didn't notice, we're trying to help you." Stiles said.

"By kidnapping me ?"

"Let's make things clear. Scott kidnapped you. I only tied you in a tub and to chair with duct tape to keep you from running away, okay ?"

"I guess we'll see what the police will think of that version."

"We released you and let you go home, you wouldn't do that ?"

"Why not ? You harrassed me and it's obvious that you regularly consume drugs and doping substances."

⠀⠀Stiles frowned.

"Liam, I know how you feel." Scott said. "Believe me, nothing will improve until you have accepted what happened to you. I just want to warn you. Something is coming. Something huge."

"Nothing happened to me." The teenager replied, removing the bandage covering his injured hand.

⠀⠀Stiles and Scott exchanged a surprised look when they noticed his skin was intact.

"For the last time, leave me alone or I will sabotage your chances of playing on the team." Liam added before leaving.

"Did he just threatened us ?" Stiles asked. "Did you notice he wasn't limping anymore ? He's healing, Scott."

⠀⠀Scott was going to answer when someone patted him on the shoulder. He turned around. Aibee was standing a few inches away from him.

"Hey, Scott." She said, smiling at him befofe handing him a small piece of folded paper.

"Hey." He said, smiling back. "What is it ?"

"My phone number."

⠀⠀Scott raised his eyebrows.

"Your what ?" Stiles added, bewildered.

"Stiles, you're here." Aibee said, annoyed.

"What were you doing here ?"

"I was suggesting Scott to play some xylophone."

"Do you think I'm stupid ?"

"I don't think you're stupid, I'm sure you are."

⠀⠀Scott started laughing. Stiles gave her an angry look.

"The bell is going to ring soon." He said. "Go to class and stop dressing like Lydia, it's getting really creepy."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't dress like Lydia."

⠀⠀A student accidentally bumped into her her.

"Sorry, Lydia Martin." He said before moving away.

"Okay, maybe I'm trying to look like her." Aibee confessed. "But what do you care ? You have no orders to give me, okay ? I know you peed in the bathtub last night !"

"What ?"

"That's disgusting." She added before leaving.

"What is she talking about ?"

"She winked at me." Scott said, disturbed.

⠀⠀Stiles sighed in exasperation.

"I swear I can't with her anymore."

"Stiles, I didn't hallucinate, she winked at me."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀ Malia was heading towards her history class when she noticed Isaac in the classroom. She immediately topped in the doorway, frowning. Sitting at one of the tables, he seemed focused while staring at the window.

"Malia Tate ?" Mr. Yukimura said. "Please, take a seat, the class will begin."

⠀⠀ Back to her senses, she sat next to Kira before taking a quick look at her right. Isaac was looking at her.

"Is he in our class now ?" She whispered.

⠀⠀ Kira shrugged and pulled a book out of her bag. Malia sighed before imitating her. A green marker wedged between her teeth, she mechanically highlighted the pages of her book with a yellow marker, which caught Mr. Yukimura's attention.

"Malia ?" He said. "Could you give me the name of the president I just described ?"

⠀⠀ Surprised, the girl stopped what she was doing and raised her head. The whole class turned towards her. Panicked, she gave Kira a look of distress.

"Malia ?" The teacher repeated. "One of our greatest presidents ?"

⠀⠀ She nodded before starting to search desperately for a clue in the middle of the pile of notes scattered on the table. At the same time, a phone started ringing.

"Please, turn off your phones." Mr. Yukimura ordered.

⠀⠀ Meanwhile, Malia was searching through her notes. Beside her, Kira continued to wave her arm in the hope of being interrogated.

⠀⠀ Another cell phone rang.

"Turn off your phones, everyone." Mr. Yukimura warned again. "Malia ?"

⠀⠀ Flipping everything on her desk, she was trying to get her hands on the red marker she had stuck the day before in the page that contained the answer.

"Is that what you want ?" Isaac said, her highlighter in his hand.

⠀⠀ Malia suddenly grabbed it, but amused by the situation, the young man didn't let her take it back. Furious, she let out a grunt as the highlighter broke in two then stared at Isaac, who smirked at her.

"Does anyone else know ?" Mr. Yukimura asked.

⠀⠀ Almost all the students in the class raised their hands. All except Malia. Embarrassed, she shamefully slipped into her chair. A phone alarm echoed in the room.

"I said, turn off all your phones !" Mr. Yukimura exclaimed, angry. "Can you survive one hour without using technology ? It's not as difficult as it seems ! When I was your age, I lived the real life. If I wanted to visit a friend, I would knock on their door. If I wanted to tell someone I missed them, I would write them a letter. If I wanted to read a book, I would go to the library. If I lost myself somewhere, I would read a map and if I wanted to watch a movie, I would go to the movie theater. Of course, I fully understand the admiration for these small machines, however, it is my duty to remind you that we are currently in a classroom and therefore you must respect certain rules !"

"Uh... Dad ?" Kira said. "It was your phone."

"Oh." He said before turning off his cell phone, his face turning red because of the shame.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"What's your problem ?" Malia spat, blocking Isaac's path when they were out of class.

"Do you really want to attack me in that hallway ?" He said, laughing.

"I'm not trying to attack you." She replied. "I want to know why you're always stalking me."

"Are you sure that's all you want? It seems more like you're controlling yourself from not slaughtering me right now."

"Keep acting like that and maybe I'll do it."

⠀⠀ Malia clenched her fists. Isaac smiled.

"You're a savage, even under this human form."

"Great." She retorted sharply. "I hope it scares you."

⠀⠀ He laughed.

"Actually, I need more to be scared, but-"

⠀⠀ He suddenly put a hand on the wall behind Malia then slowly leaned towards her. Their faces were only a few inches away.

"You have attitude and I like it." He added before leaving.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"GO, YUKIMURA !" Finstock exclaimed.

⠀⠀ With her stick in her hand, Kira was running at full speed on the field, avoiding a player who was following her to steal the ball. Suddenly, two attackers appeared in front of her. Trapped, she panicked and threw her stick in the air before throwing herself on the ground without thinking. Horrified, the coach pulled his hair as he watched the ball hitting the corner of the pole and bouncing on the crossbar before finally entering the goal.

⠀⠀ Kira straightened up on her elbows and coughed to get rid of the grass she had in her mouth.

"Unbelievable." Finstock said. "How can someone be so bad but talented at the same time ?"

⠀⠀Scott rushed towards her.

"Are you okay ?" He asked, taking off her helmet.

⠀⠀ She had no more band-aids on her face and her nose looked better. However, her scratches were still visible.

"Yes." She replied, smiling at him. "I scored."

⠀⠀ He laughed and helped her get up by wrapping an arm around her waist. She shuddered under his touch and then tried to regain her balance.

"That's it for today !" The coach said, blowing his whistle. "Before you leave, I still want to express my joy following the return of our future national star, also known as Dunbar, our new co-captain ! Come here !"

⠀⠀ He suddenly pulled Liam into his arms and lifted him from the ground while giving him a hug.

"You're a champion, do you know that ?" He exclaimed, caressing his head. "Oh yes, you're a champ-"

⠀⠀ His back cracked.

"Get off me." He said, stuck.

⠀⠀Liam put his feet back on the ground and Finstock walked away while massaging his lumbar spine. Meanwhile, Scott looked at Liam. He didn't stop staring at him throughout the training and Liam noticed it. Annoyed, he gave him a mean look before leaving the field.

"You think he hates you ?" Kira asked.

"Maybe."

"Stiles told me what happened. What are you going to do now ?"

"I have no idea. He avoids all attempts of discussion. All I know is that he's in total denial."

Kira hissed on her tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. Scott looked at her, surprised.

"What was that ?" He asked.

⠀⠀ She shrugged.

"My way of telling you that no matter what happened, I know it wasn't your fault." She replied, nervously wringing her fingers.

⠀⠀Scott didn't know what it meant, but it was a nice feeling.

"Guys !" Stiles shouted, running towards them, his phone in his hand. "Look what I found ! I hacked my father's files and-"

"You hacked the police's files ?" Kira asked, shocked.

"That's nothing. I spent so much time sitting on this damn bench that I could have hacked the NASA if I wanted to."

⠀⠀ Kira looked at him, impressed.

"That's brilliant and terrifying at the same time." She said.

"Look, apparently, there was a triple homicide in town. A whole family have been murdered in mysterious circumstances. Someone broke into their house in the middle of the night to kill them. I saw some pictures and it's a real butchery. They started talking about it in the news."

"You think it could be related to something supernatural ?" Scott asked.

"Did I say that they died in mysterious circumstances ? We're at Beacon Hills, isn't that enough for you ?"

"I don't know, Stiles, your father is the sheriff. I don't think he'd like us to get involved."

"You're kidding ? There may be a serial killer on the run and we won't do anything ?"

"Sorry." Kira said.

"I promised my mom that I wouldn't be involved in these kind of things and I'm already in trouble with Liam and Kate." Scott said. "I think wd should try to keep a low profile and act like normal teenagers for once."

"I've never heard anything so irresponsible in my life." Stiles said, shocked.

⠀⠀ They left the field. Scott frowned, staring at his cellphone.

"What ?" Stiles asked.

"Aibee sent me a message."

"Are you serious ? What does it say ?"

⠀⠀ Curious, he leaned over the phone.

𝙰𝚒𝚋𝚎𝚎:

𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘝𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦. 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶."

⠀⠀Stiles widened his eyes. Scott chucked.

"That's cute." He said.

"Wait a minute, how did she get your number ?" Stiles asked.

⠀⠀But deep inside, he already knew the answer. Next time, he would remember to lock his phone.

⠀⠀ Kira let out a small laugh, amused by the situation. The two boys turned towards her, surprised.

"Uh... Kira ?" Scott asked.

"Yes ?"

"You're in the boys' locker room."

⠀⠀ The girl stiffened immediately. Many half-undressed boys had their eyes on her. Some of them were wearing underwear while others were wearing a simple towel.

⠀⠀ Kira blushed when she realized Scott was standing in front of her, shirtless. A burst of heat spreaded across her body and she swallowed. Embarrassed, she laughed stupidly before closing her eyes to leave the room. Without paying attention, she walking towards a wall and banged her nose.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀ Alone in the morgue of the hospital, Melissa and Noah were staring at the corpses of the family that had been murdered a day earlier. Many parts of the bodies showed lesions, fractures and lacerations.

⠀⠀ Shaken by this carnage, the sheriff didn't take long to close the mortuary bags.

"The Walcott's were killed in one night." He explained. "The father was attacked in the living room, the mother was found in the bathroom and the eldest son in his bedroom. They all died one after the other. Wesley, the youngest, is the only one who managed to escape. He's sixteen."

"You know, I love my job because I can see people go through difficult times before they can get out of it. They suffer, but they heal and get better."

⠀⠀ She paused and looked at the corpses again.

"When I see these things, all I say to myself is that there is no kindness in this world."

"That kid is lucky he survived." The sheriff said. "The question is from what ?"

"Honestly, it's a miracle." Melissa added. "The person who did it seemed determined. They must have been very angry at them."

"Do you think the killer is a human ?"

"A little bit of normality won't hurt us. I had my dose with the supernatural. I stopped watch Syfy."

"You too ?" Mr. Stilinski exclaimed.

⠀⠀Melissa sighed.

"All I hope is that the boys won't have to be involved in all of this."

"You know them as well as I do to know that they are probably already involved, especially after the last events that happened."

"What events ?"

"Kate is back. You didn't know ?"

"What ? Scott didn't tell me anything. What happened ? She turned into a zombie ?"

"A zombie ?" Noah laughed. "That's ridiculous, everyone knows that it doesn't exist. Listen, whoever this killer is, we first need to hear this kid's version. We need to know what he saw. You should go talk to him."

"He's still in shock. He didn't say a word to the psychologist. He's unstable and traumatized, I don't think he will be able to tell me anything."

"I can imagine, but that's the only thing we can do for now. Find a way to make him talk."

⠀⠀Melissa nodded and sighed.

"I need holidays." She said.

"Me too."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"Hi, guys." Aibee said, putting her tray on the table.

⠀⠀Andrew and Rachel moved aside to make room for her, and she sat down in front of them.

"Sorry, I'm late, I was negotiating my menu with Mildred and good news, I finally managed to get fries." She declared, proudly.

"Did she give you pizza ?" Rachel asked. "Everyone had one today."

"What ?" Aibee exclaimed, offended. "Do you mean that I complimented her on the awful hygiene cap she's wearing for nothing ?"

"Guess what we are going to do tomorrow night ?" A boy said, settling down at their table.

"Mason, I won't another movie at your house on a Friday night." Andrew said.

"Who talked about watching a movie at my house ? I'm thinking big this time. I'm talking watching a movie at the movie theater with sound effects, popcorn and-"

⠀⠀ He noticed Aibee, who was staring at his plate.

"Who is this ?" He asked.

"Mason, this is Aibee." Rachel said. "Aibee, this is Mason, one of my best friends."

"The best of all your best friends since kindergarten." He added. "Nice to meet you, Aibee. Do you like horror movies ?"

"Not really." She replied. "Your pizza, are you going to eat it ?"

"Really ? Blood, shredded bodies and serial killers... That's not your thing ?"

"No, except if it has a link with pizzas."

"I'll make you change your mind." Mason said.

"I don't think so." Aibee said. "Unless you give me your pizza."

⠀⠀ At the same moment, Liam sat at their table.

"Hey, Liam, why weren't you on the bus this morning ?" Mason asked.

"I ran." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

⠀⠀ They looked at him, surprised.

"You ran 3 miles to school ?"

"Yeah, I'm practicing my endurance." Liam said, staring down at his fork.

⠀⠀Aibee stared at him insistently.

"We've already seen each other, right ?" She asked.

⠀⠀ He looked up at her.

"You're the weird guy who left my house running the other day. You kept shouting and screaming."

⠀⠀Liam swallowed, embarrassed.

"By the way, aren't you the boy who got injured at the lacrosse training ? I was there when it happened, it was really hilarious ! There's a video of it on Youtube, I've watched it so many times !"

⠀⠀Aibee writhed with laughter. Liam clenched his jaw, vexed.

"I feel a discomfort." Mason said. "Let's talk about something else. Are you coming to the movie theater with us, Liam ?"

"Let me guess, it's going to be of those movies where the killer is the main character and everyone dies at the end ?"

"How do you know ?"

"Seriously ?" Aibee retorted "We're freshmen, we could experience more exciting things like going into nightclubs until two o'clock in the morning ?"

"I must admit that this idea is quite tempting." Andrew said.

⠀⠀ She was pleased to hear it.

"Yes, we should totally do that." Rachel replied before kissing him.

"If I understand correctly, nobody wants to go to the movie theater with me ?" Mason asked confused.

"Alright." Rachel replied. "We will come."

"Great, see you tomorrow night at eight o'clock. Believe me, it's going to be intense."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"Hello, Wesley." Melissa said, entering a hospital room the next day. "I came to bring you food."

⠀⠀ She placed a tray on a table near the bed against which the patient was leaning.

⠀⠀ The blonde teenager barely looked at the contents of the plate. His green eyes were empty and inexpressive.

He stared at the wall in front of him, arms folded against his chest.

"Listen, I know you don't want to talk, but I'd like to ask you a few questions." Mrs. McCall said. "Don't worry, you don't have to answer everything. If you want, you can just say yes or no, okay ?"

⠀⠀ He remained impassive.

"Well, could you try to describe the killer ? You saw who it was, didn't you ?"

⠀⠀ He didn't answer.

"Could you tell me if it was a man or a woman ?"

⠀⠀A silence covered the room.

"Do you think it could be someone who is close to your family ? Someone you know ?"

⠀⠀ He continued to fix the wall.

"I understand that it's hard for you, but if you don't tell me anything, I can't help you."

⠀⠀ She sighed.

"Alright, I'll let you rest." She said, getting out of the room. Call me if you need something."

"The circle." He said.

⠀⠀Melissa turned towards him.

"What did you say ?"

"The circle." He repeated in a low voice while swaying back and forth.

⠀⠀ She approached him, frowning.

"The circle ? What circle ?"

⠀⠀ He began to shake as tears ran down his cheeks.

"The... the circle." He whispered. "No one can leave the circle."

"Wesley ?" Mrs. McCall asked, worried.

⠀⠀ Suddenly, he tightly grabbed her wrist. Surprised, she flinched. The young man started flailing around. He dismantled his blanket. His legs and fists were wildly sweeping through the air. His IVs were about to come loose.

"No one can leave the circle !" He yelled. "No one can leave the circle !"

⠀⠀ Distraught, Melissa pressed the emergency button with her free hand. Moments later, a nurse appeared in the room and pushed a syringe into the patient's neck to calm him down.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"You're okay ?" Gary asked, joining Mrs. McCall in the locker room of the hospital.

⠀⠀ Sitting on a bench, she rubbed her wrist and nodded.

"How's the boy ?"

"We put him to sleep. Tomorrow he will be taken to Eichen House. How is your patient ?"

"She hemorrhaged during the operation. She's very weak."

⠀⠀Melissa sighed, taking her head between her hands. Gary sat next to her.

"I'm exhausted." She said, leaning her head against her colleague's shoulder. "Why do we have to deal with these kinds of things ?"

"I don't know. Maybe because we chose it. What we do is hard on a daily basis, but it's a weight that we chose to carry with us."

"You sure can carry a lot of weight." Mrs. McCall exclaimed, touching one of his biceps. "How much per week ?"

"You're flattering me." Gary said, laughing. "At least 100lb every day."

⠀⠀Melissa laughed too.

"You know what ?" She said.

"What ?"

"You are right."

"Maybe you should refresh my memory since I'm right on a lot of things."

"You're right, I need a break. I need to think about something other than work. When we'll finish our day, we will fill our belly."

"Which means ?"

"Dinner at my house tonight." Melissa said, winking at him before leaving.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀Kate came out of the shower when a terrible pain spreaded in her skull. She leaned on the edge of the sink she gripped firmly not to lose balance. Her breathing became irregular and her pulse began to beat against his temples.

⠀⠀ When she straightened up, she looked down at the mirror and looked at her blue skin streaked with black stains. The same surprise was hitting her everytime she'd realize she was the Jaguar Goddess. This woman with feline features. This new part of her that she couldn't dominate.

⠀⠀ Her thoughts vanished when she saw Peter's reflection in the mirror. Standing behind the half-open door, he watched her through the crack. Caught off guard, Kate hurriedly covered her nakedness with a towel she tied around her body.

"What are you doing here ?" She asked, glaring at him.

⠀⠀ He laughed as he approached her.

"You're in my house in case you forgot."

⠀⠀ He sniffed the air.

"You don't smell the sewers anymore." He said. "What a relief."

⠀⠀Kate stared at him while keeping her hands pressed against her towel.

"You don't have to hide." Peter said, looking at the uncovered parts of her body.

⠀⠀ He gently slid his fingers down her hair while she was still staring at him suspiciously.

"You're a ravishing creature Kate, don't you understand ? You're a queen. A goddess. You're..."

⠀⠀ He put his nose in the hollow of his neck.

"Perfect."

⠀⠀ The next moment, the towel was on the floor and Peter took full advantage of the view that was offered at him.

"Look at you." He added, showing Kate her reflect in the mirror. "You have never been as beautiful as today. If you want to have total control of your power, you must first accept yourself as you are. Accept the transformation. Let it be a part of you."

⠀⠀ He moved further to narrow the gap between them. His face brushed against hers, and he looked at her as she stared at him with an expression mixed with doubt and confusion.

⠀⠀ Then, almost naturally, their lips began to touch gently before sealing together.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀ Sitting in the police car, Parrish was looking at the report of the triple homicide that hit the Walcott family two days earlier. Tormented by the violence of the photos taken on the crime scene, he closed the file then turned his head towards their home.

⠀⠀ He was parked in their street for several hours, checking the area for any suspicious presence. He turned on the radio to break the monotony of silence. He then rubbed his eyes and leaned against his seat before consulting his watch. He sighed. Four o'clock in the afternoon. He would not go home before sunset.

⠀⠀ Annoyed, he turned his attention to the music from the radio. When he finally began to relax, the radio stopped playing. Surprised, he changed the frequency, but the same thing happened again. He then stopped immediately when he noticed movement at the entrance of the house.

⠀⠀ Parrish got out of the car before advancing on the porch. When he was in front of the door, he put a hand on the handle while the other touched the gun attached to his holster. Carefully, he pushed the door before entering inside.

"Beacon Hills Sheriff's Department !" He shouted in a distinct voice, brandishing his gun in the air. "Whoever you are, show yourself !"

⠀⠀ He paced the ground floor noiselessly. Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him and turned quickly, leaning his finger against the trigger. He came face to face with Lydia.

⠀⠀ Eyes bulging, she stared with horror at the weapon pointed at her. Parrish sighed, lowering his gun.

"You shouldn't be here." He said. "It's a crime scene."

"I know."

"So, what are you doing here ?"

"I would try to explain it, but... I've never gotten a satisfactory explanation myself."

"Really ? Just an unusual habit of showing up at places where people have been brutally murdered ?"

⠀⠀Lydia frowned.

"Are you saying that I have a reputation ?" She asked.

"An unusual reputation, indeed." Parrish said.

"And you believe everything you read ?" She said, walking in front of him.

"I would like to say that I don't believe in anything, but I keep my mind open." He replied.

⠀⠀A slight smile reached the girl's lips when suddenly her face darkened. Parrish gave her a confused look as she spun on herself as if she were looking for something.

"What's the matter ?" He asked.

⠀⠀A strange smell tickled Lydia's nostrils. A smell of spoiled meat. Guided by her instinct, she walked into the living room and stopped in front of a large wooden wall.

"What are you doing ? Listen, you still have a chance to leave before I decide to report your presence here and I wouldn't waste it if I was you."

"Don't you smell that scent ?"

"What scent ?"

⠀⠀She put the palm of her hand on the wall and touched it.

"Don't touch anything, you could erase things that could help us find-"

⠀⠀ Immediately, a door emerged from the wall and she slid it to the side.

"Clues." Parrish added.

⠀⠀ He pushed Lydia to the side and grabbed a flashlight.

"Stay here." He ordered before venturing into the secret passage.

⠀⠀ It led to an underground tunnel fully immersed in the darkness. The air was hard to breathe.

⠀⠀ When he reached the end of the hall, Parrish entered a room. He turned the lights on before turning off his flashlight. He heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Lydia.

"I told you to stay there." He said.

"They are here." She said.

"What's here ?"

⠀⠀ Parrish's arm hit something. Surprised, he immediately grabbed his gun. When the light bulbs on the ceiling came on, he took a step back when he saw a dozen of corpses inside transparent plastic bags hanging from a hook.

"The bodies." Lydia added.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"Daddy, I'm going out tonight, see you later !" Aibee said, walking down the stairs.

"Wait a minute, young girl." Mr. Stilinski said, taking his eyes off the television. "Where are you going like this ?"

"Studying at a friend's house."

"You're going out to study ? A Friday night ?"

"Exactly. You know what we say, the sooner you start, the better."

"That's right, but I think you're particularly dressed up for a simple studying night with your friends."

⠀⠀Aibee looked at her outfit. A short red dress with heels.

"I'm the daughter of a fashion designer." She replied. "Even with no paparazzi around, I have to be as elegant as possible."

"You know, it's too bad that you chose to go out tonight, I was going to suggest you to watch a movie with me."

"What movie ?"

"I don't know, I was going to let you choose. I guess it will be for next time."

"Yeah and this time, I promise I'll watch all the movies you like meaning all the movies that I find extremely boring.

⠀⠀ The doorbell rang and she rushed to open.

"Hey, we've been waiting for you for a while, are you ready ?" Rachel said.

⠀⠀Aibee stiffened, giving her a panicked look.

"Good evening." Mr. Stilinski said, getting up from the couch. "You must be my daughter's friend."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sheriff."

"Same for me. So, tell me, what are you going to study exactly tonight ?"

⠀⠀Rachel gave a confused look to Aibee.

"We have a presentation." Aibee said.

"A presentation on what ?"

"Dance." Rachel answered.

"Economics." Rachel answered simultaneously. 

He furrowed his brow with a suspicious look. 

"The economic potential of dance." Aibee clarified. 

"Well, I really don't know what they teach in school these days, but it sounds interesting," He said. "So, you came here to pick her up? That's a nice gesture. Are your parents with you?"

 "Uh, yes, they're in the car." Rachel replied, pointing to a vehicle parked a few meters away. 

Andrew reached his arm out of it and waved from a distance. 

"Is that a Camaro with a retractable roof?" The sheriff asked, surprised. "I didn't know those were already on the market." 

"We really have to go," Rachel insisted, forcing a smile. "They're in a bit of a hurry." 

"I see. In that case, I won't keep you any longer."

"Thanks, Daddy." Aibee said, kissing him quickly on the cheek.

⠀⠀ Relieved, she followed Rachel outside.

"Wait !" Mr. Stilinski exclaimed once they had left the driveway.

⠀⠀Aibee stiffened, panicked, then turned around to face her father.

"Don't catch a cold outside." He said, putting a jacket on her shoulders. "Be careful, sweetheart."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"I can't believe we lied to the sheriff." Rachel said, smiling.

"I saw a movie like that once." Mason said, sitting in the back seat. "A woman turned lied to a sheriff and turned into a bird before eating him."

"Mason, if you're going to show us a movie like that tonight, I'll take you right back to your house." Andrew said, driving.

"I hope my dad won't arrest us if he finds out." Aibee said. "The police station's lighting isn't the best for my makeup."

"If that can make you feel better, Aibee, you're beautiful in this outfit and I'll definitely go out with you if I were a guy." Rachel said.

"And I would have done the same, if I didn't like guys." Mason added.

"So, that's the reason." Aibee said, smiling.

"What ?"

"That explains why you're so calm while sitting next to me."

⠀⠀ They both giggled and Aibee noticed Andrew's gaze on her through the rearview mirror.

"Why didn't you turn right ?" She asked him. "This isn't the road that leads to the movie theater."

"I need to pick up someone else." He said.

"Who ?"

"Definitely not Liam," Mason said. "He sent me a text to let me know he'll be late. I think we'll have to postpone the session."

"And what are we going to do, just wait around for an hour and a half?" Andrew asked.

"We could go to Bake & Squeeze," Mason suggested. "The juice bar across from the high school? I've been going there all the time after classes since the beginning of the school year. They sell the best boba in town, and you can make them yourself."

"Isn't it also a bakery?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, I brought you one of their caramel pies, remember?"

"It was tapioca."

He furrowed his brows.

"So they lied to me?"

"So, we forget about Liam for now ?" Andrew said.

"I really hope he shows up," Mason replied. "He's been acting strange lately. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts sprinting to the movie theater again."

"Is he hyperactive or something ?" Aibee asked.

"I think he's just having problems right now."

"Who's the other person coming with us tonight ?"

"Cat." Rachel said. "Since she's in Mason's class and has been nice to us, I decided to invite her."

"Maybe it's not a bad thing that Liam comes on his own." Andrew said. "There wouldn't have been enough room for everyone in the car."

"You're wrong." Mason retorted. "We would have just put him in the trunk. That's what serial killers do to hide the body of their victims."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"It's true that we're comfortable here," Rachel noted as she observed the decoration.

⠀⠀ They were seated in a quiet corner at a polished wooden table that offered a complete view of the right wing of the bar, bathed in a dim light that evoked a subtle fusion of modern and retro styles. 

⠀⠀ The walls, adorned with shades of midnight blue and mauve, contrasted with the deep velvet of the aged leather-upholstered benches that faced the large windows through which the light from the street lamps filtered. A built-in shelf housed jars containing straws and spoons, along with a self-service juicer. 

⠀⠀ The left wing boasted lighter shades, highlighted by beige paint and mustard yellow on the benches. On one of the counters surrounded by stools, various cakes were displayed under glass domes. Pendant lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating the amber-colored parquet floor and creating a welcoming, warm atmosphere animated by lounge music.

"It's nice of you to invite me," Cat said, sitting across from her. No one really thinks of me."

"After what you did for me, you definitely deserve it," Rachel replied, smiling at her.

"Water?" A server offered, holding a pitcher.

⠀⠀ They nodded, and he filled their glasses one by one.

"Danny?" Andrew exclaimed, looking up at him. "You're working here?"

"I didn't get the scholarship this year. I was hired two days ago. It's not as bad as it looks."

"You're studying here?" Aibee asked curiously. "I've never seen you before."

"He's on the lacrosse team," Rachel pointed out.

"Oh, so you're close to Scott McCall?" Aibee said, suddenly interested.

"I wouldn't say that," Danny replied. "We just have lockers next to each other in the locker room."

"Do you know if he uses soap or shower gel?"

⠀⠀ An uncomfortable silence hung for a few seconds.

"Your orders will be here soon," Danny said before walking away.

⠀⠀ Aibee returned her attention to the menu she was flipping through absentmindedly.

"I'm not convinced that hanging out in a place where we might potentially catch our teachers in a romantic tête-à-tête is the best way to enjoy our Friday night," She said.

"They don't come here," Mason clarified. "Everything is dedicated to the students. At the back, there's a reading area and a stage for literary discussions and karaoke."

"Just so you know, I'm not singing," Andrew declared.

"Why bring books to a bar?" Aibee added. "No one wants to dance while reading the Treaty of Versailles."

"The Treaty of Versailles isn't a book," Rachel informed.

"And I'll never know what it is exactly," Aibee shrugged. "That's why I visited the castle instead."

"I heard there are paranormal activities there," Mason said. "Apparently, Marie-Antoinette's cries can be heard in certain corridors."

⠀⠀ Andrew rolled his eyes.

"It's understandable," Aibee replied. "The carpet patterns are absolutely hideous."

"Watch out!" A waitress exclaimed as she approached them, gliding on roller skates, a tray of drinks in her hands.

⠀⠀ She was blonde and appeared to be around forty years old.

⠀⠀ She was wearing a blue apron over a short yellow V-neck dress. Her hip bumped against the edge of their table, and she chuckled as a few drops splashed them.

"Sorry."

⠀⠀ She placed a boba in front of Aibee.

"A Fizzy Bliss, peach and apricot, for the girl who could pay for my dental work with her clothes," She said.

⠀⠀ She served Rachel.

"A Lemonade Dream, strawberry and lemon, for the girl wondering what's so special about that flower pot at the entrance."

⠀⠀ She leaned towards her.

"It was a cat litter box before," She whispered, winking.

⠀⠀ Rachel frowned at her. The waitress turned to Andrew.

"A Veggie Boost with celery puree, for Zac Efron's look-alike."

⠀⠀ She served Mason.

"A Mango Tango, mango and coconut milk, for the boy who's been ordering the exact same thing for a week."

⠀⠀ She served Cat.

"And a Fresh Berry, raspberry and blackberry, for Sheila Bloom's daughter," she added. "You know your mother owes me a computer?"

⠀⠀ She smiled at each of them, then spun on her skates. She lost her balance and just managed to catch herself on Andrew's shoulder.

"Mind helping?" She asked, trying to stabilize herself.

⠀⠀ He nodded and pushed her, giving her enough momentum to roll to another table. Once she was gone, they all looked at Mason.

"I swear she usually stays behind the counter," He said, equally confused.

⠀⠀ Aibee grimaced as she looked at her cup.

"This isn't what I ordered."

"Me neither," Rachel said.

⠀⠀ They swapped their bobas, and Andrew and Cat did the same.

"So, how does it feel to finally be in high school?" Mason asked.

"It's not as fun as I thought, but not as noisy as I imagined," Rachel answered.

"It's like middle school, but with more subjects," Andrew replied. "I don't see why we need to learn Greek."

"It's Latin," Mason corrected. "And we'll only have it next year."

"It's still a dead language."

"In a show I watched, a character said the same thing, and in the final scene, he ended up trapped in a coffin with a telepathic praying mantis."

"Does he ever stop?" Andrew sighed, looking at Rachel.

"I thought high school would be like One Tree Hill, except Scott McCall doesn't have a brother," Aibee added. "At least that will spare us three seasons of beating around the bush."

⠀⠀ They seemed bewildered.

"What about you, Cat?" Rachel said.

⠀⠀ The young girl was about to respond when a woman stopped next to them. She had dark skin, a bob haircut, and was dressed in the same uniform as the previous woman. She also looked to be in her forties.

"Good evening, sorry to bother you," She said. "I'm Glenda, the co-owner. I wanted to come and apologize on behalf of my colleague for the mistakes that occurred in processing your orders. Dorothy manages the bar with me. I work in the kitchen, and she usually takes care of welcoming customers and hosting events."

"You created this bar together?" Aibee asked.

"That's right, yes. For the backstory, I had a passion for baking when I was in college, and she..."

"Where are the brakes on these things?" Dorothy asked as she hurried across the room.

"She was there," Glenda added.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"I can't believe we're really doing this." Scott said, sitting in Stiles' Jeep.

"We're not doing anything wrong." Stiles said. "We're just following Liam to observe his behavior. That's necessary, right ? He could go slaughter anyone tonight, it's our duty to keep an eye on him !"

⠀⠀ He turned his attention towards the road.

"Where did he go ?" He exclaimed, looking around.

"He turned left." Scott said, sighing.

⠀⠀Stiles turned in the street on the left. Liam appeared on the sidewalk.

"Slow down, he's going to notice us."

"Nobody's going to notice us, Scott."

"Right, you truly go unnoticed with your old and dented Jeep."

"What ?" Stiles shouted, offended. "Old and dented ? You're not allowed to talk about Roscoe like that, okay ?"

"If my mom finds out that I turned someone into a werewolf, she will kick me out of the house with wolfsbane."

"She will be angry, for sure, but believe me, she will be much more sweet with you if that this kid don't kill half of the city."

"I was exactly like him and I've never killed anybody."

"That's because you had Derek. He has no one."

"Yeah, that's what he thinks." Scott said, sighing. "Stop here."

⠀⠀Stiles parked next to a sidewalk. Liam was crossing a street. He was walking towards the entrance of a large building many people were gathered around.

"What ?" Stiles exclaimed, bewildered. "He's going to the movie theater ?"

"Where do you think he was going ?"

"I don't know, somewhere next to a ditch in the woods ?"

⠀⠀Scott frowned.

"Is that really how you imagine werewolves ?"

"Well..."

"Listen, I think there's nothing to worry about right now. He's just going to see a movie, there's nothing suspicious about that."

"It won't stop me from being suspicious." Stiles said. "Do you remember the family who was savagely murdered ?"

⠀⠀Scott nodded.

"Lydia went to their house. There is a cold room in their basement containing corpses."

⠀⠀Scott's eyes widened.

"Do you still believe that there's nothing supernatural about this ?" Stiles exclaimed.

"Okay, maybe you were right to be so suspicious, but that doesn't mean that you have to see troubles everywhere."

"You've got to be kidding me." Stiles said, sitting up abruptly in his seat.

⠀⠀A few meters further, Aibee appeared in front of the movie theater, followed by her group of friends.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

""Where is the poster of the movie we're supposed to see?" Aibee asked, looking around as she stood in line in front of the external ticket booth.

"Yeah, that's weird." Andrew said. "All I see is a black and white documentary and an animated short film about kangaroos."

"What ?" Mason said. "You don't like kangaroos ?"

"Mason." Andrew growled.

⠀⠀Aibee smiled discreetly. He looked pretty cute when he was getting angry.

"I'm kidding. Mason said. "We're not going to watch an animated short film about kangaroos. Although once, I saw a movie in which the protagonists were all chased by a horde of mutant kangaroos and-"

⠀⠀ He paused, noticing Andrew's angry look.

"Be patient, okay? Liam is on his way, and Rachel and Cat haven't returned with the popcorn yet. I hope they won't get the ones with melted cheese; that gives me chin breakouts."

⠀⠀ A gust of wind came up and Aibee shivered.

"You're cold ?" Andrew asked.

"No."

"You're sure of that ?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you shaking ?"

"I'm not shaking." She replied, shaking.

⠀⠀ He raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Okay, maybe I'm shaking a little bit." She confessed. "But there's no way I'm wearing my father's ugly jacket. It doesn't even match my outfit, look !"

⠀⠀ She pulled a thick brown jacket from her purse and waved it at him. Andrew laughed.

"It definitely won't match the beautiful dress you're wearing." He said. "I can give you my jacket if you want. Black matches everything, right ?"

"That's an old piece, but it'll work for me." She said, putting it on.

⠀⠀ A few minutes later, with their tickets in hand, the five teenagers were about to enter the movie theater, when Liam finally arrived.

"See ?" Mason exclaimed. "I told you he was going to come."

"Am I late ?" Liam asked.

"No, man." Mason said, patting his shoulder. "You're ready for this night of madness."

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"Can you see what he's doing ?" Scott asked, hidden in the back of the movie theater.

"I can only see what she's not doing." Stiles replied, stalking. "Maybe yhe boy sitting next to her is already putting his dirty hands on her."

"Just to be sure, are we still talking about Liam right now ?"

"Sorry, but now that I know Aibee is here, I can't really focus on anything else. This room is filled with young teenagers with a twisted mind. They're probably all looking at her right now. Don't you smell the scent of their boiling hormones ?"

"I don't smell anything at all."

"Try to listen to the conversation she has with the boy on her left."

"Stiles, we didn't come for that."

"Do it !" He insisted.

⠀⠀Scott sighed and focused on the voices he was hearing.

"He's telling her that he often has cramps so that's why he just put his arm on the back of her seat."

⠀⠀Stiles stared at Mason badly.

"That's the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard in my life." he said. "His lips are moving. What else is he saying ?"

⠀⠀A bright light dazzled their eyes.

"Gentlemen." A woman holding a flashlight said. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you to leave this room."

"What ?" Stiles asked, blinking. "Why ?"

"According to some people, you're making too much noise."

"That's unacceptable ! I bought my ticket !"

"I'm sorry. I'm only doing my job."

"It doesn't matter Stiles, we should go."

"Obscene things are happening right now in the dark and all you notice is that we"re making too much noise ?" Stiles added, raising his voice.

"Please, calm down, I will be forced to use the force."

"Go ahead then, I'm waiting !"

⠀⠀A tall and muscular man emerged from the darkness before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

"I'll be back !" Stiles shouted as he was getting dragged outside.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀ Eyes fixed on the giant screen, Mason laughed while a woman in a swimsuit was chased on a beach by a horrible humanoid creature. Her scream echoed through the speakers, plunging the room into a terrifying atmosphere that made more than one spectator shudder and jump.

"What's so funny ?" Aibee asked.

"She turned around." He said, eating his popcorns. "Everyone knows that you must never turn around."

"Help !" The girl yelled on the screen, crawling on the sand.

"Neither scream for help, it only makes the situation worse." He added as a horde of creatures attacked the girl.

⠀⠀Aibee leaned back in her seat, uncomfortable.

"That movie disturbs me." She said. "What are these creatures exactly ? They look like a failed mix of Alien, Predator and Avatar."

"They're Sarguals. Cannibal monsters that live on the deserted islands of the Bermuda Triangle. Whenever travellers land at this location, they go through transformations caused by electromagnetic field radiation. Their bodies mutate and they ends up becoming these inhuman and bloodthirsty creatures."

"So, if I understand correctly, this movie is called Bikini Panic because rich people land on an island infested with mutant fishermen ?"

"Exactly." Mason said. "What ? Don't tell me it doesn't scares you ?"

"You're kidding me ? Who could be scared of this ?"

⠀⠀ Mason pointed Liam. Curled up in his seat, he rocked back and forth as he shuddered in front of a scene in which a reptilian creature was pushing a young man over the roof of an old wooden cabin."

"That's ridiculous." Aibee said.

⠀⠀ The decapitated head of a man appeared on the screen and she flinched. Mason laughed again. She looked at him then glanced to his right. Rachel was looking for comfort in the arms of Andrew who did not seem impressed by the movie at all.

⠀⠀Aibee sighed. She also wanted someone to wrap her arms around her to reassure her. But she had no one.

⠀⠀No one but a jacket.

⠀⠀ His jacket.

⠀⠀A small smile appeared on her lips and she tightened it against her.

"What are you doing ?" She asked, feeling Mason's arm resting on the back of her seat.

"It's my cramps." He explained. "It happens to me every six hours."

"You know that if you weren't gay, I would have interpreted that as an attempt to flirt ?"

"Don't flatter your ego, I just need to stretch my arm."

⠀⠀Aibee laughed.

"In your face !" He exclaimed when a Sargual jumped on the boat of a young couple to devour them.

⠀⠀ His foot involuntarily hit the seat of the spectator sitting in front of him. When the person turned around, Aibee recognized Cole immediately.

"S-Sorry." Mason stammered, staring at him with embarrassment and surprise.

⠀⠀ She couldn't stop smiling, amused by his reaction. He obviously liked him.

"It's nothing." Cole said, smiling. "It's funny, I feel like we've seen each other somewhere. Aren't we in the same class ?"

⠀⠀ Mason laughed stupidly trying to articulate a coherent sentence when suddenly his popcorn box in his hands exploded.

"I swear it wasn't me." Mason said, surprised.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"And that's why bats always sleep upside down." Gary explained as he arrived in front of the McCall's house.

"I don't want to be mean, but your joke was really bad." Melissa said.

"Really ? I thought that the end would at least surprise you."

"Believe me, I need more to be surprised."

"Surely, but you don't need a lot to be unconcentrated." He said pointing to the surgical mask that was still hanging around her neck.

"I'm not unconcentrated." She retorted, pulling it away. "I'm just focused on my work. Too much focused."

⠀⠀ She leaned forward to insert the key into the door lock, when she straightened up abruptly, frowning.

"Everything is fine ?" Gary asked.

"The door isn't locked."

"What ?"

"There's someone inside." Melissa said, standing in front of a window that overlooked the living room.

⠀⠀ She narrowed her eyes in the hope of distinguishing something.

"You're sure that ? Maybe it's just your son."

"No, the lights are off."

"Okay, let me check." Gary said before entering the house discreetly.

⠀⠀Once inside, he looked at the room before seeing the silhouette of a man lying on the couch. Without waiting, he jumped on him and threw him on the ground.

⠀⠀ After he sat on him by bringing his hands behind his back, Melissa turned on the light. Immediately, her feet stumbled against a toolbox and an expression of amazement appeared on his face.

"What the... Rafael ?" She said, raising her eyebrows.

"You know each other ?" Gary asked.

"Yes, it's my ex-husband."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Gary said, releasing him.

⠀⠀Mr. McCall sat up. His hair was disheveled and he wore an old clothes.

"What are you doing here ?" Melissa asked.

"I came to do the repairs you needed and I was waiting for Scott's return." He replied. "We have an agreement. I'm having dinner with him the nights you're on duty."

⠀⠀ He paused and scratched his head.

"But apparently, you're not on duty tonight." He added, clearing his throat.

"Right." She replied. "Next time, you might want to warn me when you decide to come to my house."

"I-'

⠀⠀ She walked in front of him without giving him time to finish his sentence.

"Hi." Gary said.

"Hi ?"

"I'm Gary, Melissa's colleague."

⠀⠀ Hesitantly, Rafael shook hands with him.

"Do you work at the hospital ?" He asked.

"Yes."

"You have a lot of strength for a nurse."

"Surgeon."

⠀⠀ Rafael seemed impressed.

"I took self-defense classes." Gary added. "You're staying for dinner ?"

"No." Melissa retorted from the kitchen.

"No, thanks." Rafael said, embarrassed. "I already ate. I... I'm gonna go."

"Goodbye !" She exclaimed, putting plates on the table.

⠀⠀Mr. McCall grabbed his car keys from his car before walking towards the door.

"What just happened ?" Gary asked, confused.

"Nothing, do you like ham ?" Melissa asked, agressively slicing a piece of meat.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

⠀⠀Standing in front of the mirror of the girl's restroom, Aibee was removing corn kernels from her hair before throwing them in a trash can with disgust.

⠀⠀ This night wasn't going as planned. She imagined herself having a good time with a handsome boy with who she would have shared a strawberry smoothie while their hands would touch. Then, she would have leaned her head on his shoulder and slowly, their lips would have joined in the darkness.

⠀⠀ Instead, she had the privilege of attending Andrew and Rachel's relentless displays of affection. Letting out a sigh, she approached the mirror and gently pressed her lips together to fixes her lipgloss. She then fixed her curls and washed her hands before putting them under the electric hand dryer. At the same time, one of the faucets started running. She closed it before leaving but before she reached the door, the sound of water echoed.

⠀⠀ She turned it off with a quick gesture. Once everything seemed normal, she headed back to the door when she heard sniffles escaping from one of the cabins. Intrigued, she stopped and stooped slightly. She distinguished a pair of ballet pump.

"Hello ?" She asked. "Is everything okay in there ?"

⠀⠀ Immediately, the sniffing stopped. Moments later, a girl emerged from the cabin.

"Cat ?" Aibee said. "I didn't notice you were gone. Let me guess, you think that movie sucks too ?"

⠀⠀ The girl rubbed her eyes as she walked towards a sink and Aibee was stunned as she noticed the state of her face.

"Are you okay ?" She asked.

"Yes." The redhead replied, wiping her nose and eyes in the sleeve of her sweater.

⠀⠀ Disgusted, Aibee grabbed a tissue from her purse and handed it to her.

"You don't really look alright."

"It's nothing."

"If that can make you feel better, I like your shoes."

⠀⠀ Cat smiled at her, touched by her compliment.

"Well, of course, they're cheap and don't match your outfit, but they're still look pretty, if you look at them from afar."

⠀⠀Aibee approached her before putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I think you just need more self-confidence. You need change in your life and by change, I mean a new look."

⠀⠀ She ran her hand through Cat's voluminous hair when her ring got stuck in one of her locks.

"Ouch !" She yelled as Aibee was trying to remove her hand.

"When was the last time you went to the hairdresser ?"

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"It's very delicious." Gary said between two bites. "I understand now why you invited me to have dinner here, it's better than at the restaurant."

"Oh no, that's not for that at all." Melissa laughed. "I just don't have enough money to go to the restaurant."

⠀⠀ They laughed.

"Also, I'm not even that good."

"You are, this lamb stew is even better than my grandmother's."

"Thanks, you really know how to flatter me." Mrs. McCall joked.

"Is your ex always like that ?"

"What do you mean ?"

"Does he always sleep on your couch ?"

"Oh no." She sneered. "I mean, I hope not. Anyway, could we talk about something else ? If you really want me to take a break, you better avoid these kind of topics."

⠀⠀ She grabbed a glass of red wine. Gary imitated her. They clinked their glasses and Melissa started drinking while Gary kept staring at her.

"What ?" She asked.

"You look beautiful tonight." He replied.

⠀⠀ Melissa almost choked while laughing.

"Please, don't tell me you're one of these people who get drunk after the first sip."

"No." He answered. "I'm very serious."

⠀⠀ They stared at each other. She looked at him attentively. It wasn't hard to realize that he was an extremely charming man.

"You're funny, strong and brave." He added. "You deserve to be happy."

⠀⠀ The glass Melissa was holding slipped from her hands before spilling over her.

⠀⠀ Back to the reality, she rose abruptly from her chair and hastened to dab the liquid that was still dripping on her outfit.

"Seriously ?" She shouted. "I bought these pair of jeans last week ! You've got to be kidding me !"

"Yeah, you really are an amazing woman." Gary said, emptying his glass of wine.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"Liam, are you alright ?" Mason asked, concerned about his friend's behavior.

"Yes, why ?"

"You've been holding my hand for like ten minutes."

"Sorry." Liam said, releasing him.

"What's up with you ? You look weird since the main character was scratched by a Sargual."

"Speaking of that, tell me... w-what happens to the boy after the scratch ?"

"He dies." Mason replied, laughing. "What a question !"

⠀⠀Liam's eyes widened as he swallowed. He started to panick he began to suffocate. His head was spinning and his heart was beating faster.

"Liam ?" Mason said, worried. "Dude, what's going on ?"

⠀⠀ The young man gasped. The face of a monster with sharp teeth and blue skin appeared in front of him.

⠀⠀A Sargual.

⠀⠀ Terrified, he jumped out of his seat and ran out of the movie theater, shrieking fearfully. Rachel and Andrew looked at Mason, surprised.

"I told you this movie was scary as hell." He said, shrugging his shoulders before eating more popcorns.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"I can't believe we got kicked out." Stiles said.

"Stiles." Scott said, eyes wide open.

"Who knows what Aibee could be doing with that boy right now ?"

"Stiles."

"If I ever see that little thug that was with her, I'll-"

"Stiles !" Scott exclaimed.

"What ?" Stiles exclaimed. "I'm serious, I'm going to-"

⠀⠀Scott forced him to take a look at his left. Liam Dunbar was running away from the movie theater.

"They're watching horror movies ?" Stiles shouted, removing his seat belt. This is too much ! I'm bringing Aibee home !"

"No, we're not going to go back there." Scott said, preventing him from opening the door. "We came for Liam. We must stay focused on him so he won't kill people, remember ? "

⠀⠀Stiles pursed his lips before starting the engine of his vehicle.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood tonight." He said.

⠀⠀ The streets were dark and empty.

"Can you see him ?"

"Yes." Scott said, sniffing the air outside."Drive faster."

"I'm already driving above the speed limit, I'm not going to-"

"I said faster !"

⠀⠀Stiles pressed the accelerator.

"I see him !" Scott exclaimed. "Stop the car."

"What ?" Stiles retorted, confused. "But you told me to speed up !"

"I said stop the car !" Scott ordered, opening his door.

"What are you doing ? You think we're in some kind of action movie ?"

⠀⠀ When Liam's silhouette appeared in the lights, Stiles brake sharply as Scott jumped off the Jeep to grab the young man's arm as he was running down the sidewalk.

⠀⠀ Before he could react, he was thrown inside the car.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━

"There's no chance Kate would do this." Derek said, flipping through the file that Braeden had brought back. "These injuries weren't caused by claws or fangs. These are deep cuts caused by a blunt object."

"A military tomahawk to be more exact." She said, removing the jacket of her police uniform.

⠀⠀Derek looked at her, surprised.

"That's not in the report."

"I know."

"Are you going to tell me what else do you know ?"

"Not yet." The mercenary retorted, leaning slightly against the table between them. "Your ignorance is quite amusing."

⠀⠀Derek dropped the file on the table.

"Could you at least tell me how you knew about my eyes ?"

"You have no idea what Kate really did to you, am I right ?"

⠀⠀ Derek's silence answered her question.

"The ritual she did to rejuvenate you also rejuvenated your powers and weakened them." Braeden explained. "It's sort of a side effect and if it continues, then-"

"Then I could lose my powers." Derek added.

⠀⠀ She nodded.

"Yes, definitely."

⠀⠀Derek lowered his head and let out a sigh.

"Don't lose hope too quickly. There's probably a way to fix this. You just have to give me more time."

"I'll give you all the time you need. Just don't disappoint me."

"I'll try to remember it. Where's your bathroom ?"

"You're starting to feel a little too comfortable here, don't you think ?"

"Maybe you prefer seeing me removing my clothes right in front of you ?"

⠀⠀An awkward silence covered the room.

"Second door on the right." Derek said.

⠀⠀ Braeden left with a smirk on the corner of her mouth. At the same moment, knocks echoed at the entrance. When Derek opened the door, Teresa was standing in front of him.

⠀⠀ When he saw her disturbed look, he immediately realized something was wrong.

"You're a werewolf." She said.

━ ✧° ☾⋆⁺ ━