✧☾ ATONEMENT ☽✧

━━━━ act one. full moon

three. chaos rising ━━━━

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THE VIEW FROM THE LIVING ROOM WINDOW WAS ONE OF THE FEW THINGS NOLA ACTUALLY LIKED ABOUT THEIR NEW APARTMENT. She could see the surrounding neighborhood and, beyond that, the trees of Beacon Hills Preserve. In the evening hours the sun would settle behind the treeline, illuminating them in golden light. Her new room wasn't bad either, even if it was smaller than her old room back in Oakland. She'd tried her best to make herself at home, starting with painting the walls of her room in her favorite dark shade of green. But all of that was overshadowed by the fear gnawing at her heart whenever she entered the building.

Maybe her father had hoped she wouldn't notice it. Though Nola could hardly imagine him thinking she was that stupid. There was one reason he'd chosen this building and one reason only. She'd realized it the very first day she'd entered and spotted the name of the family living in the apartment below them. Argent.

Knowing her father, it made sense he'd want to stay close to their enemy. Still, if that meant Nola didn't feel safe in her very own home, she didn't think it was worth it. So far she'd spend every night she'd been in Beacon Hills over at Aiden's apartment downtown. But she wanted to talk to her father, which meant she had little choice but to come here.

With her arms crossed over her chest she was staring out of the window, trying to organize her thoughts. She wasn't really sure where to begin, mostly because she wasn't even sure what the hell was going on.

"There's something really strange happening in Beacon Hills," she said, turning away from the window to face her father.

Deucalion was seated on the couch and, despite being blind, his eyes followed her steps as she sat down in the chair opposite him. His ears caught even the smallest of sounds.

"It's not just the birds in our classroom yesterday. I've been reading up on the news and there've been reports of strange animal behavior all over town." She leaned back in the chair, pages upon pages of accidents flashing through her mind. "I've never heard about animals acting this way." She frowned at her father when he remained quiet. "Have you?"

"There's no reason to worry," her father said calmly.

"Why? We have no idea what this is, doesn't that mean we should be on alert until we do?"

He tilted his head slightly to the right, as he always did right before he was about to correct her on something. "I never said I didn't know what this is."

For a moment she longed back to simpler times, when the only life lessons he tried to teach her were not to come home too late. But she pushed those thoughts away, dwelling on the past never helped anyone. "You're not going to tell me, are you? Or you would've done so already."

Deucalion leaned forward. "I will tell you when I think you need to know. For now, just stick to the plan."

With a sigh, Nola got to her feet. "Yes sir."

Without another word, she grabbed her bag and her jacket and left the apartment. She was very much aware of how childish she was acting but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. She trusted her father not to keep secrets about things that might put her life in danger. At the same time, yesterday's scene was still fresh in her mind, making it painfully clear that her father wasn't willing to tell her everything about what they were truly doing here.

She spent the entire way to the school lost in thought, barely realizing she had already arrived until the moment she stepped into the hallway. Her first class today was economics but with everything else on her mind it would be hard to try and concentrate. She entered the classroom and as soon as her eyes landed on the two friends seated beside each other though, she was pulled from her thoughts and reminded of the reason she was here in the first place. She was very aware of Stiles' eyes on her as she sat down on the other side of the room. Good to know her ploy to get his interest had worked. He would want answers and she had to be ready when he came asking for them.

But first, economics. The teacher, so she figured, was also the coach of the Lacrosse team. She wondered if that would change his teaching methods at all. Anything to keep her focused today and take her mind off the mission still awaiting her.

"The stock market is based on two principles," coach began. "What are they?"

Scott raised his hand.

"Yes, McCall, you can go to the bathroom. Anybody else?"

Looking a little bit confused Scott lowered his hand again. "N-no, coach, I know the answer."

Nola raised a brow when the coach started laughing, watching with an amused smile as his laughter finally died down when realization settled on his face. "Oh, you're serious."

"Yes, risk and reward."

Genuine shock dawned on coach's face. It wasn't hard to figure out why. Between dealing with the full moon, a murderous Alpha and a Kanima, Scott's grades must've been terrible.

"Wow! Who are you? And what have you done to McCall? Don't answer that. I like you better." He pointed at him. "I like you better. Does anybody have a quarter?"

Enthusiastically, Stiles reached into his pocket, but a quarter wasn't the only thing coming out of his pocket. Even from the other side of the classroom Nola could spot the bright blue package of a condom as it fell on the ground.

Laughter went around as coach leaned down to pick it up. "Stilinski, eh, I think you dropped something." He placed it back on Stiles' desk, who sat frozen in his seat. "And congratulations."

The look of both pride and confusion shared between Scott and Stiles didn't go unnoticed by her.

With the quarter in his hand, coach walked back to the front of the class and placed a mug on the ground. "Risk and reward. Put the quarter in the mug, win the reward. Okay, watch coach." He went through his knees, blew on the coin and tossed it. It bounced on the ground once before landing perfectly into the mug.

The class applauded and Nola joined in with a shake of her head. That was one way to make an economics class more interesting.

"Okay, you, eh, new girl." He pointed at her. "Risk, reward?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "What's the reward?"

Coach thought about it for a moment. "You don't have to take the pop quiz tomorrow."

Oh she was taking the risk for sure, no way she could ever successfully make that quiz with everything happening outside of school. "Is it still a pop quiz if you tell us about it?" She asked while she was getting to her feet.

He shook his head. "Details. You in?"

She took the coin from his hand. "Hell yes."

Nola went through her knees, balancing the coin between her fingers, eyes focused on the mug in front of her. She took a deep breath, aimed and let the coin fly. And, as expected, it landed right in the mug.

"Okay, very nice," Coach said as she handed him the coin and went back to her seat. "No quiz for the new girl!" Coach moved on to Scott's desk. "McCall. Risk, reward? The risk, if you don't put that quarter in the mug, you have to take the pop...The quiz. And you have to write an essay. Risk, more work. Reward, no work at all. Or choose not to play."

Scott frowned as he stared at the quarter. "But isn't this just chance?"

"No. You know your abilities, your coordination, your focus, past experience. All factors affecting the outcome. So what's it gonna be, McCall?"

Scott eyed the coin as he turned it over between his fingers, before finally placing it down on his desk. No play...which didn't really coincide with anything Nola was told about him. Marin told them he was always making sure no one got hurt, putting himself front in every situation to get everyone out okay. For a passing second, Nola wondered if he even truly wanted to have all this power and responsibility in the first place.

"Okay," Coach said, taking the coin. "Who's next?"

Stiles got to his feet with a cheeky grin.

"There you go! There's a gambling man! Come on, step up!"

Stiles took the quarter and made his way to the front on the glass, getting ready to toss it. But he would never get the chance to because right at that very moment the door was opened. Three police officers stepped inside and a thick silence clouded the room.

"Stiles?"

"Yeah, coach, I got it."

"Stiles," one of the three policemen spoke up. Nola caught sight of his name tag and realized then he was Stiles' father. The sheriff.

Finally Stiles looked up, eyes going wide when he spotted them.

"A word?" His father said.

Silence clung to the air as they all watched them step outside, the door closing behind them. It was Coach who broke the tension by offering the coin to someone else. But Nola wasn't interested in watching anymore. Instead she focused her hearing on the conversation happening in the hallway. And judging by the expression on Scott's face, he was doing the exact same thing.

"There was a missings person report filed last night," sheriff Stilinski said. "Heather's missing. You were at her party, correct?"

For a second there was silence as Stiles processed those words. Nola had no idea who Heather was but judging by the way his heart was racing, it was someone who meant a lot to him. "Yeah we talked for a while, I left but when I came back I couldn't find her. I just figured she'd hooked up with her other friends. Has no one really seen her since last night?"

"No," sheriff Stilinski sighed. "We put out an APB, but eh, Stiles, all her friends say you were the last person who saw her."

"Me?"

"We hope that it's just a series of bad decisions based on too much to drink. But if you remember anything else, you call me. All right?"

"Yeah, of course."

Her hearing remained focused on the two friends as she stood in the hallway after class was over. She was gathering her books while concentrating on the conversation happening several lockers away from her. Nola had a feeling Stiles would be looking for answers. And who better to blame than a possible new supernatural being in town? But apparently she wasn't the only suspect on the list...

"So you think they kidnapped Heather to turn her?" Scott asked.

"Derek says it's easier to turn teenagers," Stiles argued.

"But what would a pack of Alphas need with a Beta?"

Nola couldn't even begin to recall the amount of times she'd asked herself that very question...

"Scott, I don't know. I don't care. All right? This girl...our moms were best friends before mine died, all right? We used to take freaking bubble baths together when we were three. I gotta find her."

"Then we need Isaac to remember," Scott said.

Nola could basically feel Stiles' gaze burning on her back and it took her every bit of strength not to turn around and look at him.

"I think there's someone else we need to talk to first."

She inhaled deeply, preparing herself for the interrogation she knew was coming. She managed to keep looking forward as she closed her locker and walked away, heading up the stairs. Stiles' footsteps were close behind her but she ignored him, searching for an empty classroom where they could talk quietly. When she found one, she entered, placed her bag on the floor and took a seat on the desk, waiting patiently for Stiles to catch up with her.

He all but stumbled into the room, all subtly out of the window. When he realized it was empty though, he looked around in surprise. He might've had his suspicions she was supernatural but he certainly didn't look like he understood the possible danger of that fact. Or maybe he simply didn't care.

"You wanted to talk to me?" She asked innocently, raising her eyebrows.

"I, eh, you heard that huh?" He scratched the back of his head, suddenly looking unsure of himself, as though he was only now realizing this probably hadn't been the best idea.

She simply smiled, then nodded at the door. "I'm currently also hearing the heartbeat of your best friend standing outside. Why not ask him to join us?"

Before Stiles could say a word, the door opened and Scott walked inside, coming to a halt next to his friend. The seriousness on his face was almost comical compared to Nola's obvious amusement. Stiles frowned at him, seeming like he was about to protest but Scott didn't give him the change.

"Who are you?" He asked.

She extended her hand. "Nola Newcrest, nice to meet you." When neither boy showed signs of wanting to take it, she dropped it. "But that's not what you meant, is it?"

"Are you like me?"

She rolled her eyes. The way he was talking about it, as though it was some curse best left unspoken, wasn't like anything she'd ever been taught. All her life she'd been told to embrace the wolf within her, to be proud of what she was. She didn't like this tiptoeing, as if they should fear awakening the beast.

"A werewolf, yes," she said.

The two friends shared a look as she waited patiently for their next question, though she already suspected what it might be.

"Are you with the Alpha pack?" Stiles asked.

She knew Scott would be able to tell if she was lying, meaning it was very important to watch her next words. Besides, the best lies always held a little hint of truth. "Okay first of all, I don't know how much you actually know about-" she gestured between Scott and herself "-all this but packs usually aren't 'Alpha only'. Second, do these look red to you?"

Her eyes glowed a cold, icy, blue. Forever a reminder of her greatest mistake. Nola wasn't even sure if they knew the meaning of a werewolves eyes but judging by their lack of reaction, they probably didn't.

Stiles crossed his arms over his chest and squinted his eyes, as if determined to accuse her of something. "Okay, then, what are you doing here?"

"My dad wanted to come here. He heard there was a powerful Alpha living in Beacon Hills," she said, her heartbeat steady the entire time because technically; it wasn't a lie.

Scott frowned. "You're looking for Derek Hale?"

"Yeah," she said slowly. "Do you know him?"

"Unfortunately," Stiles mumbled. "Why are you looking for an Alpha anyway?"

Nola shifted uncomfortably, she didn't have to fake her emotions this time. "Because our entire pack got killed by hunters. Including my mom." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, my dad said Derek managed to get rid of the hunters on his tail, said we needed him."

Genuine sympathy warmed Scott's eyes, despite his obvious weariness towards her. "I'm sorry," he said, surprising her when she realized he meant it, wholeheartedly.

Stiles frowned at him, clearly disagreeing with showing any signs of sympathy to a completely, and possibly dangerous, stranger.

But, once again, Scott ignored him as he continued: "Though you'd probably been better off staying where you came from."

She tilted her head slightly, aware it was a habit she'd adopted from her father. "Because of the Alpha pack you just mentioned?"

The two friends shared a look, many unspoken words exchanged in one simple glance. They were obviously in doubt about how much they could afford to tell her. She hoped her story had at least earned her a little bit of their trust. It was important to start figuring out just how much Scott knew of the myth surrounding him and, maybe even more importantly, how much they had managed to figure out about her pack.

Scott took a deep breath. "They're after Derek, we think."

Stiles raised a brow, as if he couldn't believe Scott had actually decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Nola was surprised by the little sting she felt in her chest when she realized Stiles was right to doubt her. She didn't like to lie or to take advantage of someone's trust. But it was necessary and so she pushed those thoughts aside.

"Okay," she said slowly, considering his words. "But then Derek could use more Beta's right? We'd make him stronger."

"I-" Scott fell silent, thinking it over because Nola knew very well her reasoning was valid. "I'll talk it over with him but there doesn't have to be a fight. We don't even know what they want yet."

"I think we both know that it's always a fight in this world," Nola muttered.

Scott tensed as memories of the fights he'd already had to endure seemed to pass through his mind. Before he could form an answer though, Nola jumped off the desk and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"I understand why you're not ready to trust me but promise me you'll talk it over with Derek? I'm willing to do anything you ask to show you can trust me."

"No, he's not promising anything," Stiles said, eyes jumping between her and his best friend.

But Scott held her gaze and must've seen something trustworthy in there. He nodded.

Stiles sighed, mumbling something under his breath.

Nola kept her eyes focused on Scott though and she realized she genuinely believed him. Slightly surprising herself by the easy way he seemed to gain her trust as well. But that realization made the lies she'd just told only worse...Her throat burned, as though she'd been forced to swallow wolfsbane. But there was no backing out now and so she offered the teenager a thankful smile before hurrying out of the classroom.

✧☾ NOTE ☽✧

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while and I apologise for that. I've had a few very busy weekends and when I finally did have the time to write, I got sick. Life just kept getting in the way I guess but I finally managed to finish this chapter! I'm still getting used to writing Scott and Stiles and so I hope they still felt somewhat in character!

I wanted to thank you all for the amazing amount of support this story has received. I'm blown away by the amount of people invested in Nola and her journey. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Please leave some comments or votes if you enjoyed this chapter. I'd love to hear your opinions on it! I'm trying my best the get the next chapter up as soon as possible so you guys won't have to wait too long again :)

xx Nelly

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