Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hospital walls were something that Nina was familiar with by now, no matter which country she was in. To the detriment of her mother’s wallet, that meant the Beacon Hills Hospital was a second home to the teenager when her migraines became too much to handle. That morning, Nina and her mother were visiting that second home for the third time in one month after she had fainted in the kitchen and hit her forehead on the counter.

Melissa McCall flipped through notes on a clipboard. “Has your period been regular since we put you on birth control?” At the end of her first year of high school, Nina’s doctors wanted to test the theory that her migraines were hormonal, and she was given the pill. At Melissa’s question, Nina pursed her lips and remained silent. The older woman stared at her, unimpressed. “How many have you missed?”

“They’re tedious,” Nina replied. 

With a light chuckle, Melissa shook her head. “I hear ya, sister. I know there haven’t been any documented health issues around skipping your period too much, but there haven’t been many long-term studies, either. It could be why you’ve been having more migraines this month. No more skipping. Got it?”

“Got it.” Nina sighed and squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the familiar stab behind her brow. “Are you sure I can’t go to school today?” It was the first day of her second year at Beacon Hills High School, and she only had three afternoon classes after she commuted to Berkeley for the morning. 

Melissa bit the side of her cheek and checked the clipboard again. “You don’t have a concussion, but I really think you should get some rest now, when your high school classes are starting easy. Berkeley started two weeks ago, right? How’s that going?”

She enjoyed her classes so far. Animal physiology was going to be easy considering she worked at the vet clinic, game theory was sure to be simple, and psychology of myth was her for-fun choice. The concept of the supernatural had always seemed far-fetched to her, and learning about how people created mythical creatures and stories would be interesting.

Nina’s mother was sitting in the hospital waiting area when Melissa and Nina walked out. Imogen Holmes immediately stood, rushing over to Nina. “How are you feeling, Darling?” Imogen asked, brushing the hair around her stitches back. 

“They gave me pain meds, so fine.”

“I filed a prescription for the pharmacy down the road, so that should be ready in about ten minutes,” Melissa explained. “No concussion, but just to be safe I don’t want her driving this week, and you should come back next Monday so we can check up on you. Does that work?”

Imogen nodded. “Yes, thank you so much, Mel. Does Nina need to take today off of school?”

The nurse gave Nina a pointed look. “I think it would be best, but it’s ultimately Nina’s choice. If you do go to school today, say hi to Scott for me.”

~~~

“You fainted? Why the hell are you here?” Once Nina arrived at the school after missing her college classes, Danny had immediately joined her side, walking her down to her locker as the other students stared at the line of stitches on her temple.

“I didn’t get hurt, it looks worse than it actually is. Besides, if the birth control doesn’t work, I’m going to keep missing classes anyways. I don’t want to have to play catch-up for the first day.”

Danny shrugged, remembering her attendance record during their freshman year. “I heard Will almost hit someone in the parking lot this morning.”

She groaned, rolling her eyes. “I swear, he drives horribly just to make a point.” Her twin notoriously hated driving. Not just in America, either. He’d been awful at it back in England as well. That morning, Nina almost thought that he was going to faint when their mother handed him the car keys. If Will ended up making so much as a dent in the car, she would kill him. 

At Nina’s locker, Lydia and Jackson were so kind to detach their mouths from one another to notice Nina and Danny approaching. A brunette that Nina didn’t recognize stood awkwardly to the side, doing her best to look anywhere but at the couple. 

“What’s with the head wound?” Jackson asked, sneering at the stitches as soon as he saw her.

“It’s the new trend, would you like one to match?” Nina opened her locker door, conveniently hitting Jackson’s shoulder with it and forcing him out of the way. He responded with a lackluster ‘hah’ as she put her things away and got what she needed. 

Lydia hummed, reaching up and brushing the hair around her stitches. “Come on, I’ll fix your hair so you can hide it. Allison?” Lydia turned to the brunette, who had been gawking at Nina’s injury while clutching the handle of her bag. Lydia grabbed both girls’ hands and dragged them to the restroom, leaving Jackson and Danny to talk about lacrosse tryouts. As soon as they were inside the empty restroom, Lydia spun on Nina, hands flying to her hair. “Are you alright? Did you faint again?”

“This morning. At least I don’t have a concussion,” Nina huffed. While she couldn’t turn her head, she panned her eyes over to look at Allison. “I’m Nina, by the way.”

She gave her a hesitant smile. “Allison. Do you, uh… faint a lot?”

Lydia turned Nina’s head, forcing her to look at the wall instead of Allison. “Not really. I have chronic migraines, it’s very rare for them to make me faint. What’s Washington like? I’ve never been.”

“How’d you know that?” Allison asked, her eyes wide as Lydia merely rolled hers. 

“You have three different pins from the area. I’m assuming you lived there, or were you just travelling? Ow!” She hissed in pain and glared at Lydia, who muttered an unsympathetic ‘oops’ as she tugged at her hair.

“Both. My family moves around a lot. I liked Washington. That’s also really cool, that you noticed.” She was still awkward, but getting slightly more comfortable as the conversation progressed.

“See? She appreciates it,” Nina grumbled, her head moving as Lydia turned it once more.

Lydia only snorted. “Statistically, someone has to.” She finished her work and patted Nina’s head, turning to Allison. “Don’t mind her, she’s a know-it-all.”

“I still don’t understand how that’s an insult.” Nina assessed her new hairstyle in the mirror. It wasn’t horrible. “Thanks. Could I have a ride home after school? I’m not allowed to drive for the rest of the week.”

“Fine. If you don’t have a concussion now, being in the same car as Will when he's driving will definitely give you one.”

“Who’s Will?” 

“Nina’s hot and annoying twin brother.”

Nina gagged. “He is not hot. He is annoying, though.”

“Whatever you say, Darling.” The three left the bathroom as it got closer to the starting time for class. “Are you coming to the party on Friday?”

“I would rather give myself a concussion.”

~~~

At the end of the school day, Nina and Will were both on their way to the lacrosse scrimmage. Her brother was being especially difficult ever since she’d told him he would have to find a ride or drive himself for the rest of the week. “Nurse McCall only suggested you don’t drive, she didn’t say you couldn’t. The last time I had to drive us home from school, the sheriff thought I was drunk.”

“And he let you off with a warning when he realized you’re just stupid,” Nina countered, opening the last door that led to the field. Early fall had her dressed in a light sweater, while the native Californians all sported hats and gloves to battle the cold. Will wore a denim jacket, one that Lydia would inevitably ask to borrow in an attempt to make Jackson jealous. 

Will scoffed beside her as they walked across the field to the bleachers. “It’s hardly my fault. It’s not like we ever needed to drive in London.”

“And yet, I manage just fine.” She climbed up the seats and sat next to Lydia, Will sitting one seat below. “Any new people?”

Lydia, who was too preoccupied with the asses of the players to see any new faces or even register Nina’s question, only hummed in response. “I think they’re about to start,” Allison said to her with a smile. Her eyes flicked down to Will, who was pulling out a blue folder. “Hi, are you—”

“Yes.” Will looked up at Nina and opened the folder. “Who are your bets this year?” Last year, the twins made a rather lucrative business in betting on the players and games. They’d even gotten Coach Finstock in on it, not that the school board needed to be aware of that.

Nina glared at him. “Will, this is Allison. Allison, Will. She’s new.”

“Lovely. Bets?”

Allison laughed in disbelief. “Wow, Nina and Lydia were right. You are annoying.” Will only scoffed as Nina and Lydia laughed, handing Nina the spreadsheet as she quickly filled in her top players. Danny, Jackson, and Sanders. As she handed it back over to Will, Allison spoke again and pointed out into the field. “Who is that?”

“Number?” Will asked, quickly making a list of jersey numbers and the players.

“Eleven.”

Will snorted. “Bad choice. McCall was on the bench all last year.” The player in question was heading to the goal. Nina assumed Finstock put him there instead of Danny to possibly boost morale.

Rolling her eyes, Nina slapped Will on the back of the head. “That isn’t what she meant, idiot.” He turned and glared at her but Nina ignored him, looking at Allison instead. “His name is Scott McCall. I work with him. He’s nice, but Will’s right. Rubbish at lacrosse.”

As if on cue, Finstock blew his whistle, and Scott covered the sides of his helmet. Sanders, the first in line, took a shot at the goal. Just because Scott was on goal didn’t mean Sanders was going to go easy on him. The ball sailed through the air, unceremoniously nailing Scott right in the face. “See?” Will nodded to Scott, who was getting up from the ground. The next person in line didn’t wait for Scott to get ready as he threw the next ball, but just as it was about to fly past him and into the goal, Scott adjusted the goalie stick and caught the ball. He also caught the next three, with as much precision as Danny. “Huh. Never mind.”

Nina’s brow furrowed. Scott, the same guy that caused Nina and Deaton to put up a sign that said “___ days since last accident” due to him knocking things over, was playing like a pro. After that initial fumble with the whistle. Nina was more sensitive to sounds when her migraines got bad, but not to that extent.

There was a pause as Jackson cut to the front of the line. “Twenty says Jackson doesn’t make it,” Nina said, nudging Will’s shoulder with her knee. Lydia spun around to glare at her, to which Nina only shrugged. “If you’d like to take the bet to support him, by all means.”

“Yeah, Martin. Be a good girlfriend. We all know the money will be coming out of Jackson’s wallet, anyway.” Will sent Lydia an innocent smile as her glare focused on him.

Lydia pursed her lips, looking out onto the field as Jackson got ready. “Fine,” She huffed. “Put me down on your stupid spreadsheet.”

Will laughed, making a point of lifting his pen high in the air before scribbling out Lydia and Nina’s bet. “Yes, Ma’am.”

On the field, Jackson began running at the goal. Bobbing and weaving as though there were other players against him — Nina was tempted to roll her eyes at the dramatics — until he sprung up and swung the stick, sending the ball on path to the goal. It would have made it if anyone else had been goalie. Scott spun his net to the opposite side of where it had been, and the ball landed perfectly.

Everyone cheered, Lydia included, who actually stood to scream in support for the guy that beat her boyfriend and ousted twenty bucks. It was just to get back at Jackson, naturally, as she shoved the money in Nina’s hand as soon as she sat back down. “Not a word from either of you,” She ordered, staring out into the field.

~~~

At the tail end of her shift, Nina was in the process of sanitizing the examination table by the time Scott bothered to show up. “Don’t tell me being the new star of the lacross team means you’re going to start showing up late,” She mused, leaving the room and peeling her gloves off. Scott was cutting it close, but it wouldn’t have mattered even if he did get there late, as Will wasn’t there to pick Nina up yet.

Scott smiled at her apologetically. “Sorry, Nina. I lost my inhaler in the woods last night, I was busy looking for it.”

She paused from logging out of the computer to stare up at Scott. “Did you intend to tell me that you were in the woods around the same time the police found half of a body?”

His eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly. “I— I lost it before. I wasn’t looking for the body, or anything! I was just… in the woods. At night.”

“Isn’t that reassuring.” Nina stared at him for a beat, then rolled her eyes and stepped back once she was done with the computer, allowing Scott to log on. “Well, congratulations on finding her. I suggest investing the reward money in therapy.”

Tossing her backpack over her shoulder, Nina took her phone out and sent a quick text to Will, asking where the hell he was. “How did you know I found it— her?”

“Mud and blood on the shoes.” He looked down at his shoes, his eyes widening in realization. “I’m choosing to be optimistic and assume you only found her instead of being the one who murdered her.”

Scott’s head shot up from the computer screen to stare at her. “What? I just— what do you mean, murdered? She wasn’t murdered, I was att— I think she was just attacked, I heard a wolf when I was out there.”

Nina only snorted. “No, you didn’t.” Finally, Will pulled up to the clinic, parking over a line instead of in between them.

“I know what I heard—”

“The only wolves in this part of California are at the zoo, Scott. And none of them have somehow escaped in the past twenty-four hours.” She went to the door, pausing as she remembered the other thing on her mind. “Are you on drugs?” Nina asked, watching Scott’s reaction.

Scott only stared at her in confusion, his brow furrowed. “No. What do you mean?”

He didn’t appear to be lying. Scott had always been a bad liar anyway, not that he tried to very often. “Just checking. Try your best not to make a habit of traipsing the woods at night.”

Shaking his head, Scott huffed out a laugh and wished Nina a good night as she left the clinic. 

~~~

For Nina’s “for-fun” pick of her college courses, Psychology of Myth was taking up a lot more of her time than she thought. They’d been in class for two weeks, one week longer than her high school, and she had a five page paper due on Sunday night. In honor of it being a full moon Friday, her professor decided to have the students write about werewolves. Nina’s thesis was on clinical lycanthropy and if it came from the myth, or vice versa. It was an opinion piece, but it still required academic sources and full citations. During the two hours she’d been at the public library, Nina had successfully written an outline and gathered enough sources, requiring every book in the mythology and folklore section related to werewolves. It was a larger section than she imagined the Beacon Hills Public Library would have, but at least it saved her the trouble of making Will drive all the way back to Berkeley.

While she was writing, Stiles Stilinski had entered the library and was staring at an empty shelf when Nina noticed and called him over. He sat across from her at the same table, taking the first book that was closest to him, and started flipping through.

It took about ten seconds before he finally got bored and looked up at her. “So, uh… Did you hear about the body?”

Nina spared him a glance, her eyebrow raised as she halted her typing. Who hadn’t? “The same body that Scott accidentally revealed you two had found?” She continued typing as he froze in the corner of her eye.

“He told you that?”

“No,” Nina answered, unable to help the small smile that crept up on her lips as she continued with her paper. “He told me that he found it, after he had accidentally revealed he was in the Preserve at the time.”

“So how’d you know I was there?”

This was too easy. Nina leveled him with an unimpressed look. “You just confirmed it.” He visibly deflated, guilty. “Why are you asking me about the body?”

Stiles looked around before leaning forward, forgetting that he had just confessed to searching for half of a dead woman. “Scott told me that you had said something about her being murdered. My dad said the medical examiner is leaning towards animal attack, since they found wolf fibers on the body. I wanted to know why you thought it was a murder.”

It was comforting to know the medical examiner was an idiot. Nina rolled her eyes. “What animal has the ability to slice someone in half? And wolf fibers? I just told Scott the other day that there are no wolves in this part of California. Furthermore, even if there were, wolves don’t hunt for sport. Why wouldn’t it have eaten at least part of her? Who the hell is the medical examiner?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Someone in San Francisco. Where did you get that information? It’s all classified.”

“Why would I tell the son of the sheriff? No offense.”

Stiles sighed, shrugging. “None taken. So, it was definitely murder?”

“Unless your father has extra classified information to prove otherwise,” She paused from typing to look back at Stiles with a smirk. “Or, It was a werewolf.” That one word seemed to set Stiles off, as he jumped in his seat and nearly fell to the ground, knocking a few books off of their shared table. The people surrounding the area turned to look. “Jesus, I was kidding! You don’t actually believe in werewolves, do you?”

“No!” The library patrons continued glaring at his outburst. “Uh, I mean, no,” He repeated. Gathering the books that had fallen to the floor and clutching them to his chest. “Is it alright if I take these? I have to go right now.”

What the hell was wrong with him? Nina watched him and nodded. “Yeah, I’m done with them.” Thinking that was the end of the conversation, she put her entire focus on her paper.

However, Stiles still stood at the table. “Hey, uh… I’ve been meaning to ask… does Lydia ever talk about me?”

There it was. The inevitable segue in conversation that came every time a boy talked to her. Nina rolled her eyes and refused to look at him. “Walk away, Stilinski.”

“Yep, absolutely.” To his credit, Stiles didn’t persist, immediately leaving her alone. 

~~~

The following Monday, Nina found Scott and Stiles whispering quietly at the former’s locker. “Hey, Scott—”

“If you’re going to try and convince me to play the game for your and Will’s stupid betting pool, I don’t want to hear it,” Scott cut her off, already looking at her like she was an annoyance.

She did not have the time or energy for that. Sneering, Nina rested her hand on her hip. “I was going to ask you if you could cover my shift next Thursday. I have a group project and that’s the only time everyone else is available to meet.”

Scott let out a guilty sigh. “Right. Yeah, Nina, I can do that. Sorry.”

“Whatever.” Nina pulled her phone out and sent a quick text to Deaton, confirming the scheduling change. “Lydia did try to enlist me to convince you to play, but I told her if she didn’t shut up about it I’d dislocate your shoulder. Then both star players would be out of commission.”

Stiles’s brow furrowed. “You can dislocate a shoulder?”

“Would you like a demonstration?”

“I’m good, but that’s really thoughtful of you to offer.”

Nina sent Stiles a mock-innocent smile. “I’m nothing if not charitable. See you later, Scott.”

About to walk away, Scott reached out and grabbed her arm. “Wait! You, uh… you were right. About it being a murder. Be careful, okay?”

While Nina never usually cared about the context when people told her she was right, this case made her suspicious. “How do you know it’s a murder? What happened?”

Scott looked over at Stiles, who was shaking his head furiously. “It’s Derek Hale. We don’t have proof yet, but—”

“Derek Hale? He gave Allison a ride home from Lydia’s party. She said he was nice, just quiet.” She decided not to divulge that Allison was currently mad at her because Nina had said it was stupid for her to get in the car with an adult male stranger. She stood by it, but she wasn’t going to get into it with her coworker and his friend. “If he killed that woman, why would he scope out a high school party if he didn’t intend to hurt Allison?” Nina folded her arms over her chest, lifting her hand to bite down on her thumb nail. There could be countless reasons, given that nothing was known about the surviving Hales after the fire, save for the one that was still in a coma.

Scott merely shrugged. “I don’t know, just be careful.”

It was believable, as Scott didn’t know a lot. “Why do you think it’s him?”

“We can’t tell you,” Stiles cut in. “If Derek Hale offers you a ride home, just say no.”

Nina tilted her head to the side. “Really? After Allison’s review, I was thinking of hiring him as my personal chauffeur.”

Stiles mirrored her expression, also tilting his head. “Well, don’t do that.”

“Nina, seriously, just be careful,” Scott sighed, repeating the sentiment for the third time in their interaction. 

“I’ll try my best,” She drawled, turning and walking away. 

~~~

The first game of the season always had the highest turnout. It was one of Nina’s least favorite things about attending the games, but it also meant the highest cash turnout. “Jackson cornered me earlier today,” Will muttered to Nina as she sat down next to him on the bleachers. “He said that he’s telling all of the other players not to pass to McCall, so everyone that’s bet on him is about to lose out. I’m changing my bets before the game, do you want me to change yours as well?”

After Jackson’s injury, Nina and Will had both replaced him with Scott as their top three. It looked like Jackson was now retaliating against the threat to his status. Nina huffed in distaste. “No, if the both of us win big, people will throw a fit about us cheating. I’ll keep Danny, Scott, and Sanders.”

“If you insist.” 

Eventually, Allison joined the twins with her father, and then Lydia sat down with them as well after threatening Scott. Not long after that, the ref blew the whistle, starting the game. Nina closed her eyes as the sharp noise reminded her of the headache she’d had all day, and put in her earplugs along with quickly swallowing some pain medication. The ear plugs only muffled the noise, so she could still hear everything around her. That included the shocked sounds when Jackson checked Scott, sending him to the ground as Jackson scooped up the ball and made the first goal of the game.

“Oh, that piece of shit!” Nina cursed, ignoring the mother that turned to glare at her as she covered her small child’s ears. Everyone else in the stands was cheering at the win, save for Nina and Will, the latter scribbling down the details of the goal. 

The game continued, and at the start of the final quarter, they were down two points. The players gathered in their assigned spots, and Scott was hunched over when the ref went to check on him.

“Which one is Scott again?” Chris Argent asked.

“Eleven,” Will answered.

“Otherwise known as the only one who hasn’t caught a single ball this entire game,” Lydia continued.

Nina rolled her eyes. “It’s hardly his fault no one’s been passing to him. Plus, he’s also been the only victim of in-team violence.” Lydia hummed nonchalantly, and Nina turned around to glare at her friend. “If we lose this game because of your boyfriend’s one-sided dick measuring contest, I will kill him painfully and slowly.”

“If we lose this game because of my boyfriend’s one-sided dick measuring contest, I will kill him,” Lydia agreed with a smile. “But for now, Scott’s the only player hunched over on the field.”

“I hope he’s okay,” Allison muttered, her eyes trained on Scott.

“I hope we’re okay,” Lydia replied. “We need to win this.” With that, she stood, lifting another sign and forcing Allison to hold it with her. 

The referee signaled the start of the final quarter, and the force of the two players starting with the ball sent it straight up in the air. Scott, no longer hunched over, used the shoulder of an opposing team member to launch himself in the air and catch the ball. Everyone yelled, including Nina, whose headache only worsened because of it. She found it to be worth it as Scott weaved between everyone on the other team, scoring a goal and only putting them one away from tying. 

Another miracle occurred as the opposing team passed Scott the ball, and he scored once again. It was hard to tell from the distance, but it looked like he had ripped through the goalie’s net. Once he got the final and winning goal, the initial joy Nina had felt was now shifting to confusion. How did Scott do all of those gymnastics with asthma?

Chapter Text

“How can this medical examiner possibly believe it was an animal attack?” Nina demanded, frustrated by the most recent news to come out about the woman’s body cut in half. She was finally identified as Laura Hale, Derek Hale’s sister. And instead of murder, the medical examiner in San Francisco had deemed it an animal attack. As soon as the news had covered it that morning, Nina dragged Will out the door and to the police station.

The sheriff sighed, running his hand over his face. “Look, Nina, you and Will have given a lot of useful tips over the past year you’ve been here. But all evidence points to it being an animal attack and nothing more.”

Will’s nose scrunched up in disbelief. “What animal is capable of slicing a grown woman in half?”

Another long sigh. “Our medical examiner in Sacramento still isn’t sure. We found wolf fibers on the body—”

“There are no wolves in this part of California!” What was with these people and not knowing their own geography? “And they don’t hunt for sport! There were only bite marks found on her, not any pieces taken out. She was still fully intact except for the slicing part.”

Sheriff Stilinski stared at her for a beat. “That part wasn’t released to the public. Did Stiles tell you that?” No, but he’d indirectly confirmed it, and Nina decided to let that count as telling her. She nodded, and the sheriff closed his eyes. “So, what, you think Derek Hale did it after all?”

“Hardly,” Nina scoffed. “Why would he go through the trouble of cutting his own sister in half and only burying part of her if he’d been the one to kill her? That makes no sense.”

Stilinski leaned forward in his chair, letting his elbows rest on his desk. “Look, Kid, I hear you. It doesn’t seem right to me, either. But that’s what the medical examiner determined, and we don’t have anything else to go off of.”

At that moment, a deputy burst into the room, and Nina and Will noticed heightened activity in the rest of the precinct. “A man was attacked on one of the buses at Beacon Hills High School, Sir. He’s still alive, an ambulance is bringing him to the hospital now.”

Nina and Will shared a look before turning to the sheriff, who was now standing. “I have to go. Have a good day at sch— uh, just have a good day.”

~~~

Nina sat on the opposite side of Allison at the lunch table, which just so happened to be next to Stiles. He sent her an awkward smile which she didn’t return as she pulled a fifty dollar bill out of her pocket. “There,” She said, handing it to Scott.

Scott looked down at the money, then back at her. “What is this?”

“It’s your portion of what I won from the bets I placed on you,” She explained. “Twenty-five per goal, then triple that for the winning goal. All together I made one twenty-five.”

“Oh.” Scott stared at it for a second before pocketing the money. “Thanks.”

“Keep it up, and you’ll get more. I’ll add in some bets about you doing weird flips and shit.”

Everyone else sat down around them, Lydia on the other side of Scott and Danny on the other side of Stiles. At the head of the table was one of Jackson’s friends, until Jackson approached and demanded he move.

“How come you never ask Danny to get up?” He asked.

Danny smiled. “Because I don’t stare at his girlfriend’s coin slot.”

“Classy, Daniel.” Nina rolled her eyes and opened her lunch box.

“You know me,” Danny grinned over at her. “So, I heard it was some type of animal attack. Probably a cougar?”

Nina tutted, stabbing into her lunch with a fork. “Jackson, you’ve got to keep a closer eye on your mum.” Stiles snorted, being one of the few to dare laugh at a joke made at Jackson’s expense. Allison and Scott also appeared to find it funny, but they only smiled.

To Jackson’s credit, he didn’t dignify her comment with a response. “I heard mountain lion,” He said, ignoring her completely to respond to Danny.

“A cougar is a mountain lion,” Lydia corrected, busy opening a container of jello. She then looked up at Jackson and gave him her classic doe eyes. “Isn’t it?”

Nina scoffed. It looked like Lydia’s insistence on pretending to be dumber than Jackson extended itself to animal facts. “Look at us, learning our animals. Isn’t that exciting?”

“Who cares?” Jackson sneered. “The guy’s probably just some homeless tweaker who’s gonna die anyway.”

That was definitely one of the most abhorrent things he’s ever said. Nina glared at him. “Ah, yes. As we all know, only ‘homeless tweakers’ are capable of dying. For once in your life, can you at least pretend to be a human being?”

Before Jackson could respond, Stiles cut in with a livestream of the news, revealing the victim to be a man named Garrison Myers. Scott recognized him as his former bus driver.

“Can we talk about something a little more fun, please?” Lydia asked. “Like, oh, where are we going tomorrow night?” She looked at Scott and Allison, who only stared blankly back. “You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow night, right?”

Allison swallowed what she had been eating. “Um, we were thinking of what we were going to do…”

“Well, I am not sitting home again watching lacrosse videos, so if the four of us are going out, we are doing something fun. Nina, do you want to join?”

“I will cut off my hand with this fork right now,” Nina threatened, holding her fork above her wrist in order to convey that she did not want to join. Stiles leaned away, staring at her in shock.

It seemed that Scott and Allison were also less than thrilled. “Hanging out?” Scott repeated, turning to Allison. Stiles began shaking his head next to Nina. “Do you wanna hang out, like us… and them?”

“You can borrow my fork, if you’d like,” Nina offered. The dramatic threats against Nina’s own wellbeing were often the only thing Lydia listened to when it came to saying no. Maybe it would work if Allison or Scott tried it, but part of what made Nina unique was that she wasn’t afraid to follow through if it meant not having to interact with Jackson any more than strictly necessary.

Allison laughed hesitantly. “Uh, we’re fine, Nina. I think it sounds fun.” Allison obviously didn’t believe that, but Lydia didn’t care.

“You know what, Holmes, I agree with you for once. I would rather stab myself in the face with this fork,” Jackson nodded, holding up his own fork that Lydia batted away.

Nina’s brow rose in mock confusion. “Who told you that you could talk to me?”

“How about bowling?” Lydia gasped, also ignoring Nina at this point. “You love to bowl.”

Rolling her eyes again, Nina tuned out the rest of the verbal competition about bowling of all things.

~~~

The next night, Allison and Lydia were busy looking for something that Allison could wear to the double date while Nina did her homework on Allison’s bed. Each time the slink of a hanger slid out of the closet, Nina spared a glance, echoing Lydia’s sentiments of “dear god don’t wear that” and “please let me burn that for you.” It wasn’t until Lydia stood and took Allison’s place at the closet, picking out a black sparkly t-shirt that something adequate had been found. Still, Nina peered into the closet from her spot on the bed and spoke up. “Light pink, closer to the left.”

Lydia found what Nina was referring to and pulled it out, examining the shirt. It was a lot simpler than the rest of Allison’s closet, which was a bunch of garish patterns and prints. It looked like it would be more form fitting, with a square neckline and flowy sleeves. “I knew I kept you around for something,” Lydia replied, looking over at Nina with a smile.

“And here I thought it was my charming disposition.”

Without warning, the door opened, and Allison’s father stepped in, holding his coat.

“Dad, hello?” Allison said, staring at him expectantly.

Chris pulled on his coat, smiling at the three teenagers. It then faded at the look Allison was giving him. “Right, I’m sorry. I completely forgot to knock,” He apologized, gesturing back to the door.

Lydia fell back onto the bed in a seductive pose, right on Nina’s textbooks and papers. “Hi, Mister Argent,” She said cheerfully, propping her head up with her arm.

“Come on, now it’s going to be wrinkled,” Nina huffed.

Allison looked back at them, then Chris. “Dad, do you need something?”

“I wanted to tell you that you’ll be staying in tonight.”

Lydia deflated and frowned at Nina. “What?” Allison also deflated. “I’m going out with my friends tonight.”

“Not when some animal is out there attacking people,” Chris explained. Allison tried to protest, but he shushed her. “It’s out of my hands, there’s a curfew. No one’s allowed out past nine thirty pm. No more arguing, okay?”

Nina’s nose scrunched up as Chris left the room. “If that’s what your parents call arguing, they would have an aneurysm if they saw how my family communicates,” She snorted once the door shut.

Standing, Lydia faced Allison with a tight smile. “Someone’s Daddy’s Little Girl.”

“Sometimes,” Allison nodded, hugging herself. “But not tonight.” She pulled on her hat, going to the window and scoping the area below before opening it and climbing out. Nina and Lydia followed her to the window, but stayed inside.

“What are you doing?” Lydia demanded in a hushed whisper.

Rather than answering, Allison flipped off of the roof, landing on the ground below. “Eight years of gymnastics,” She smiled. “You coming?”

Lydia and Nina stared at each other in surprise, then looked back down at Allison. “We’ll take the stairs,” Lydia answered for the both of them.

After gathering their things, Lydia and Nina left the Argent residence, bidding farewell to Victoria on their way out. Allison met them near Lydia’s car, and thankfully for Nina, dissuaded Lydia from trying to rope her into going bowling with them after all.

~~~

When she arrived home, it took approximately two seconds for Will to call out her name. Nina sighed and went to his room, leaning against the doorframe. “What do you want? Hi, Isaac.”

Isaac Lahey offered Nina a small smile as he returned the greeting. He was still getting used to being at their apartment, where he wasn’t made to feel like a nuisance. It hadn’t taken long to learn the true nature of Isaac’s home life, when they had seen how he behaved around Coach Finstock. Back in their first year at Beacon Hills High School, Will had surprisingly gone out of his way to befriend the boy. The only thing that had stopped them or their mother from reporting Isaac’s situation to the police was his own insistence that he didn’t have any other family, and the American child ‘protection’ system was a nightmare. Their best bet was having Isaac over as often as possible, and the curfew was a handy new excuse.

At his desk, Will was typing out what looked like a case file before he slid his chair away from his desk, gesturing to his laptop. “Before he was a bus driver, Myers was an insurance investigator. I found his cases with the company he used to work for.”

“Odd choice in career change,” Nina mused, taking a closer look at the screen. Will had two windows open on his laptop, one with the case information, and the other with his own notes on everything he had gathered. Myers’ obituary, the insurance agency he’d previously worked for, the police files reported earlier that day, and the hospital records entailing his injuries… and death. Most recently updated only an hour prior, when Nina was at Allison’s. She’d never checked the news.

“Maybe he just really liked kids.”

Nina couldn’t tell if Isaac’s comment was a joke or not, but Will laughed. She scrolled through his history at the insurance company and looked back at Will. “His last case was the Hale house fire. If his obituary is accurate, he became a bus driver shortly after.” Ten years since his report on the fire, and nine years of being a school bus driver.

Will nodded. “So, also probably not an animal attack.” He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees.

Her brow furrowed. “It’s more in line with one, though,” Nina argued. She pulled up the police report of the attack and skimmed through it. “A seat was ripped from the back of the bus and appeared to be thrown to the front. A human can’t do that.”

“And an animal can?” He countered, brow raised. “Come on, Nini. You’re smarter than that.”

She scowled. He was right. When Nina was at work earlier that afternoon, Deaton had shown her the photographs that the sheriff left the day before, during the shift Scott had covered for her. Her boss explained that there could be a wolf in Beacon Hills after all, but that the injuries Myers sustained didn’t line up with a wolf attack. Nina was mostly just grumpy that she was wrong more than once that week. “So the police should be looking for a human being capable of ripping an entire bus seat from the five-inch screws holding it to thick metal,” Nina reiterated, hoping to gain back some of her dignity by making Will feel stupid.

It didn’t work, as he only shrugged. “We don’t know the quality of the metal or how many drugs the person might have been on.”

Finally having enough of being a fly on the wall, Isaac gave his two cents. “And, y’know, there’s that whole thing about being able to lift cars off of your child when in a crisis. The inhibitors in your brain that tell you something will cause you pain shut off.” Nina rolled her eyes, and Isaac stammered. “I mean, it’s also a far stretch to say that a human could have done that. A bear could be capable of doing that.”

“A bear capable of that strength can’t fit in a school bus,” Nina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Myers’ attacker is also a human, then. Probably the same person, if their angle is making the deaths look like animal attacks.” Isaac and Will both nodded. If it was the same person, their possible motive was getting rid of loose ends regarding the fire.

“It couldn’t be anyone that survived the fire, they would have no reason to murder both parties,” Will explained, taking his spot back in front of the computer as Nina stepped away.

Just as she was about to argue that it was way too early to make that assumption, the twins’ mother appeared in the doorway with a knock. “Isaac, John gave the okay for you to stay the weekend. Is there anything I can get for you?”

Isaac smiled at Imogen. “I’m alright, Miss Holmes.”

“Jen, Isaac. You know the drill by now.” She leaned against the doorframe and turned to Will and Nina, her eyes narrowing. “No,” She stated, pointing at the laptop.

Will held his hands out, swiveling his head around as he gave the other teenagers an innocent look. “What do you mean, no? I’m just sitting here—”

“No.” Jen rolled her eyes and entered the room, causing Will to move as she inspected the laptop. “You’re obvious, Darling. You almost got arrested the last time you did this.”

Isaac’s brow furrowed. “Wait, what we’re doing is illegal?”

“Technically.”

“Not technically,” Jen corrected. “Fully illegal. You’re lucky the last case you did this for didn’t get thrown out because of you two!”

“It wasn’t because of us, it was because the police weren’t able to see the facts—”

“Yes, well, it’s very easy to obtain the facts when you don’t have to follow procedure, William. Inserting yourself into investigations is dangerous. If you don’t stop this, I’m going to confiscate your computer.”

“I can still use my phone.”

Jen placed her hands on her hips. “I’ll take that too, then.”

“Why?” Will lounged back in his chair as Nina and Isaac watched the interaction. “There’s a killer on the loose, keeping me and Nina in the dark isn’t going to keep us safe in any way. That’s why we’re here in the first place, isn’t it? To be safe?”

It was a sore subject for the entire family. When Jen’s brother, the twins’ uncle, decided they were ‘unsafe’ in London and demanded they leave, he gave no explanation to anyone. He had gone as far as threatening Jen’s financial status and career, along with the twins’ future opportunities if she refused. He even had his own plans on where they would go, but Jen took them to Beacon Hills instead.

Jen sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine. You can keep doing your own research, but you can’t get involved. I don’t care if someone is getting murdered right in front of you, alright? That goes for all of you.”

As Jen stared pointedly at each teenager, they all agreed. Once she left the room, Will glared at Nina and Isaac. “Thanks for making me take her on by myself.”

“You didn’t stop talking long enough for either of us to step in,” Nina replied. She also left, quickly taking a moment to wish them goodnight. “Let me know if you find anything else that’s significant.”

Only Isaac replied, and Nina went to her own room to finish her homework for the night.

~~~

Nina’s migraines were bad enough to wake her up at two in the morning, and she wasn’t able to go back to sleep until an hour before her first university class. Because of that, she had decided to skip that morning. By the time her high school classes began, Nina was feeling well enough to attend. She had made it through her three classes before she found her migraine returning, as she walked down the hall with Lydia and Allison to their lockers. “Scott’s coming over?” Lydia asked, throwing Allison a teasing smirk.

“Tonight,” Allison answered with a shy smile. “We’re just studying together.”

“‘Just studying” never ends with just studying,” Lydia grinned. “It’s like… getting into a hot tub. Somebody eventually cops a feel.”

Allison looked between Nina and Lydia with wide eyes. “Wait, so what are you saying?”

Lydia paused on the stairs. “I’m just saying, you know, make sure he covers up.” When Allison only stared blankly, Lydia laughed. “Hello, Snow White! Do it with a condom!”

“Are you kidding? After one date?”

Lydia scoffed. “Don’t be a total prude. Give him a little taste.”

If rolling her eyes wouldn’t cause even more pain, Nina would have done so. “And that is reason three hundred and forty-nine as to why Lydia needs to break up with Jackson.”

Turning back, Lydia gave her a sardonic smile. “And that is reason three hundred and fifty as to why Nina has never had a boyfriend.”

“Reason three hundred and fifty-one is that boys are annoying,” Nina laughed. She turned to Allison, who appeared to be in her own head. “Allison, you don’t have to give him anything. Go at your own pace. Lydia is right about the condoms, though, if you do decide to go for it. And if Scott tries to pressure you or force anything, here’s how you can damage his windpipe in a way that isn’t fatal if he gets to the hospital on time.”

“I think I’ll be okay,” Allison said with an awkward laugh, pushing Nina’s hands down as she got ready to demonstrate the self-defense move her uncle had taught her. She then pulled her hands back and looked around before speaking again in a low whisper. “But, um, how much is a “little taste?’”

As Lydia and Allison discussed the girl’s growing feelings for Scott, Nina felt the familiar sensation of an ice pick stabbing through her eye. Her eyes screwed shut, the sudden pain taking her breath away. That was all routine. What wasn’t normal, however, was the stench that filled her nose. It was almost enough to make her vomit. Nina covered her nose and mouth with her hand and looked at Allison and Lydia, who were staring back at her. “What is that smell?” She asked, the intensity of the smell and her migraine combining to bring tears to her eyes.

“What smell?” Allison asked, her brow furrowed as she reached out to touch Nina’s shoulder. “Are you feeling okay? Should we bring you to the nurse?”

“Yeah, Allison, she looks great,” Lydia snapped. By the look on her face, Nina must have. She pulled out her phone and immediately began typing. “The nurse’s office will be closed by now. I’m telling Will that he has to drive home. Nina, do you have your medication on you?”

“I already took it earlier. Are you sure you don’t smell anything?”

“Like what?”

Sweat, blood, rotting plants and flesh. It smelled like death.

Chapter Text

“I mean, seriously, what the hell is Hoosiers?” Lydia demanded over the phone. “I’m not watching some stupid basketball movie.”

“I’m assuming he’s getting The Notebook, then?” Nina asked. She laid on her stomach in her bed, typing out an essay with one hand while the other held her phone up to her ear. 

Will stopped at Nina’s bedroom door and leaned against the frame. “Lydia on the phone?” She didn’t know why he was asking, but that didn’t matter. Nina threw a pillow at Will, hitting him in the shoulder. He threw it back at her immediately.

It hit her square in the face. Will barked out a surprised laugh as Nina stood, grabbing the pillow once more. “I have to let you go, I’m about to become an only child.”

“Ugh, finally. I—”

The pillow fell out of Nina’s hand as an ear-splitting scream broke out over the line. “Lydia? Lydia!”

“What happened?” Will asked, watching as Nina ran to her room and got her car keys.

“Obviously, I don’t know yet!” Nina snapped. Lydia was breathing heavily, not saying anything. “Lydia, which video store are you at? I’m on my way.”

“Video 2C. The one near the mall. I— I don’t know what that was— it broke through the window—”

It was close by. “Will and I will be there in five minutes. I’m putting you on speaker.” She handed the phone to Will, and the two ran down the stairs of their apartment complex to the garage.

It took a while for Lydia to calm down enough to actually explain what happened. Jackson went into the video store while Lydia stayed in the car, and then a large figure jumped out of the window and ran off. “Is Jackson still in the store? You need to go check in on him.”

“Are you fucking insane? I am not going to be the one to find my dead boyfriend— oh, god, what if he’s dead?”

“That’s why you have to check,” Will sighed. They got in Nina’s car, and she floored it out of the garage. “Lydia, you said it broke through the window, right? You don’t have to go inside, but go to the window and call out to Jackson. If he’s alive and injured, we need to know. Can you do that?”

“Yeah.” Over the phone, they heard the sounds of a car door opening and closing, and then Lydia’s shaky voice calling out for Jackson. After a moment, Lydia confirmed that Jackson was alive. Nina and Will both let out a sigh of relief. They didn’t want to have to find Lydia’s dead boyfriend, either. 

By the time they got to the video store, Lydia was inside, attempting to lift a shelf off of Jackson’s legs. With two more people, they were able to free him. “You should have called the cops,” Jackson said, glaring at Lydia as he brushed himself off.

“She was already on the phone with me, asshole. You’re welcome, by the way.” Nina folded her arms over her chest and glared right back at Jackson. 

“I didn’t need your help.”

Will stepped in, towering over Jackson’s 5’9” stature. “How about you crawl under that shelf again and prove it?”

As the boys continued arguing, Nina looked around the store. No security cameras. Where were the employees? She walked down the aisle, the store only lit by red neon, and saw a dark lump sticking out from behind one of the shelves. Stepping closer, Nina ignored Jackson as he called out to her, telling her not to go over there. Nina peered around the corner and her hands immediately shot to cover her mouth, stumbling back to get as far away from the dead body as possible. Her foot caught on the bottom of another shelf, and she fell to the ground. 

“Nini?” Lydia stepped forward, but Jackson held her back. Will went to Nina’s side, sparing the body a glance. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before helping her up, and the four left the store to wait for the police and their parents.

~~~

On their mother’s orders, Nina and Will skipped their college classes and got excused absences from high school. Lydia had also stayed home, but she had gone radio silent a few hours prior. Nina was getting restless staying at home, so she decided to go to the store and get a few things for her friend. 

After she’d finished her shopping, Nina entered the Martin household. She was given a key not long after becoming friends with Lydia, and often entered the home unannounced.  It didn’t take long to find Lydia’s mother, Natalie, sitting on the couch and watching reality television. “I brought some things for Lydia. How is she feeling?”

Natalie turned to her, wine glass in hand. “Oh, thank you so much, Nina. I gave her some Ambien to calm her nerves. A friend of Lydia’s is actually checking in on her right now, he said his name was… Stiles?”

When the police showed up to the video store, she remembered Stiles hanging out of his father’s window and yelling about the dead body. She had also seen his Jeep in the driveway when she arrived at Lydia’s house. Nina set the grocery bag on the kitchen counter and went up stairs, telling Natalie that she was also going to say hi. Lydia’s bedroom door was closed when Nina reached the top of the stairs, and when she pressed her ear up to it she didn’t hear anything. Her brow furrowed, Nina opened the door quickly and saw Stiles sitting on the edge of the bed while Lydia was passed out. “What the hell are you doing?”

Stiles spun around, falling to the floor and dropping his phone. “Nina! Jesus christ, you scared the shit out of me.” Nina only stared blankly, watching as he clumsily threw his phone in his pocket and stood. 

“Nini?” Lydia lifted her head, her face still covered by her hair.

“Get out.” Nina brushed past Stiles and knelt down at Lydia’s side. “Hi, Lydi. Did you get some sleep?”

She brushed Lydia’s hair out of her face. Lydia only smiled and hummed, leaning into Nina’s hand. “Your fingers are cold,” She mumbled.

“I got you ice cream,” Nina explained. Lydia frowned. “Don’t worry, it’s your stupid diet stuff. God forbid you allow yourself sugar.” Lydia still had a hold of Nina’s hand, so she had to twist her body around to grab Geraldine the Giraffe off of her nightstand and give her the stuffed animal. Lydia mumbled something about a mountain lion, taking Geraldine and squeezing her tightly. 

Soft snores came from Lydia’s open mouth not long after. Nina stood and grabbed the prescription bottle from Lydia’s nightstand. It was strong medication, meant for insomnia. She could only hope Lydia wasn’t an idiot and took the correct dose. She put the bottle back down and turned to leave Lydia’s room, seeing Stiles was still there. “Come on.” She led him out into the hall and closed the bedroom door behind them. “If you tell anyone about that, I’ll kill you.”

“What, that you’re capable of being nice?”

“About Lydia, idiot,” Nina snapped. “It’s no one else’s business, and quite frankly, none of yours either.”

Stiles held his hands up in surrender. “Jesus, got it. I just wanted to see if she was okay. Are you okay? You were there last night, too.”

Nina sighed, folding her arms over her chest and glancing at the shut door. “I’m fine. I was on the phone with Lydia when Jackson was attacked. She was in the car, and saw… whatever it was… break out of the window. She told me where she was and Will and I went to go check on them. I only saw the dead employee.”

“Only?” Stiles repeated. “That isn’t exactly what I would classify as an “only.’”

As the image of the dead body popped up in her mind, Nina hugged herself tighter. “Did your father say anything about it?”

“No, nothing yet.”

She nodded. Just as Nina was about to ask Stiles to update her on the case, her phone rang. Seeing Deaton’s caller ID, she answered. “Hey, Deaton.”

“Nina, have you heard from Scott today? He’s fifteen minutes late for his shift.”

Considering she wasn’t in school that day, she hadn’t. She asked Stiles, who said Scott hadn’t been returning any of his messages, either. “Do you want me to come in?” Nina offered.

Deaton sighed. “Jen told me what happened last night, I don’t want to force you to work after that.”

“You aren’t forcing me to do anything, I need the distraction. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

~~~

It turned out that Nina made the right decision in taking over Scott’s shift, as a litter of kittens had been dropped off for their first checkup by the foster owner. Nina lifted the tiny kitten from the scale, marking down his weight after she returned him to the heating pad with all of his siblings. “All of them appear healthy,” Nina called out to Deaton. “Bjork’s eye infection should clear up in about a week with the antibiotics.”

“Perfect. Thank you, Nina.” Deaton entered the examination room with his phone in hand. “I still haven’t heard anything from Scott. This isn’t like him.”

“It’s his girlfriend’s birthday, and I haven’t heard from her either. Best case scenario is they’re together and lost track of time.” After last night, the worst case scenario seemed a bit more likely, but the basket of kittens helped her avoid that line of thinking. 

“Sheriff Stilinski.” 

Nina looked up from the kittens to see the sheriff in the doorway. He offered Nina and Deaton a tense smile and entered the room. “Nina, how are you doing?”

“I got to miss school today, so never better.” She lifted one of the more vocal kittens, Abba, and held her to her chest. 

The sheriff nodded, knowing she was downplaying her actual feelings. “Well, I hate to bother you, but I’m having a bitch of a time getting a consensus on what this is we’re dealing with.

“Sheriff, I’m really flattered that you came to me for help. But, like I said before, I’m no expert.”

“But you were pretty certain the other day about our attacker being a mountain lion.”

Deaton nodded. “That’s right.” 

Stilinski paused as he glanced between Nina and Deaton. “I wanna show you something. Nina?” He turned to her, and Nina prepared herself to argue in favor of letting her stay in the room. “This information doesn’t leave this room, understood?” She nodded in relief. Stilinski brought out a folder and opened it, revealing a stack of three blown up photographs. “We got a little lucky here. The video store didn’t have any cameras, but a security camera that was watching another parking lot happened to grab a few frames. Take a look at our mountain lion.” Nina peered over to the photograph. The kitten purred as Nina absentmindedly scratched her head, calming Nina down as she looked at the frame of the video store. The image showed an empty parking lot, save for Lydia’s Buggy, and a dark indistinguishable figure breaking through the window. It didn’t look like a mountain lion, but the angle could have been impacting that. 

The next image was less ambiguous. The figure was on the ground, on all fours, running past Lydia’s car. “What the fuck is that?” She muttered, ignoring the disapproving stares from the adults. The figure had a thick back legs, and what appeared to be a large torso with thinner front legs. The weirdest thing about it, however, was the fact that it appeared to be the same size as Lydia’s small car. It wasn’t any animal she had ever seen.

“It’s interesting,” Deaton said simply. Nina’s head shot to him in surprise. That was it? A zoological anomaly was just interesting?

“Actually, uh, this is the interesting one.” The sheriff dropped the last photo, and Nina’s eyes widened more. 

Deaton lifted the photo to get a better look. “I see what you mean.” 

“I’ve never seen a mountain lion do that,” Stilinski continued. 

“That’s a human,” Nina said, more surprised that neither of the men were saying that.

Stilinski sighed as Deaton glanced over at her. “So what are these, then? ‘Cause they don’t look human.”

“Bad angle?” She suggested with a shrug. 

One of the dogs in the back began barking, catching their attention. “Like I said, Sheriff, you really need an expert here,” Deaton said. 

“Yeah, but… could this still be a mountain lion?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve got a sick Doberman that needs my attention.” Deaton took a step back, as though he were practically itching to escape the interaction.

“No other ideas?”

“I’m sorry. I really wish I could help you. Nina, I need you to call the foster owner for the kittens and then come help me with the dog.”

Nina nodded, returning Abba to the basket and lifted it up. The sheriff followed her out into the lobby as she quickly put the kittens in their kennel. “Nina, I’m sorry for coming off as dismissive, but—”

“This attack has to be a human as well, doesn’t it?” Her mind raced, the final photograph replacing the image of the dead man in her mind. “I know you still think the other two were animal attacks, but it has to be a murderer. Laura Hale was a victim of the fire, Myers was the insurance investigator on the fire who may have covered up a crime, and—”

“Where did you get that information?” 

Shit. Nina didn’t get enough sleep, she wouldn’t have accidentally revealed what she knew about the case otherwise. “It’s public access,” Nina lied swiftly. It was partially true, after all.

“Not all of it,” Stilinski countered, his tone more akin to a parent than a sheriff. 

Her best course of action was changing the subject. “Did the security camera get anything from the time of death? If it was an animal, it would be pretty easy to see a large animal entering the store.”

He sighed again, exasperated. Deaton called out to Nina, and the sheriff smiled at her. “Have a good night, Nina. Get some rest.”

As he left, Nina punched in the phone number of the foster owner, wondering if she should confront her boss about his odd behavior.

~~~

School conferences were about as boring as they were every year. Nina’s teachers always had something to say about her attendance, despite each one being medically excused and not affecting her academic performance. The only one who seemed to understand was her French teacher.

“I had similar health problems when I was Nina’s age,” Miss Morrell smiled. “And I wasn’t nearly on top of my schoolwork as she is. My only complaint is that I wish she would tone down the side conversations with Lydia and Allison. All three girls are doing great in the class, but it’s distracting other students.”

Will had some slightly different problems.

“William is—”

“Will.” 

Mister Harris offered a tight smile. “Will, sorry. Will is, as I’m sure you know, extremely intelligent. Advanced physics is something I only allow the seniors to take, and I’m proud to see a sophomore doing so well. I just wanted to address some behavioral problems.”

Just as Will had stayed in the back of the classroom when Nina was going through her conferences, Nina found a bookshelf filled with science textbooks to occupy her attention. When that shoe dropped, however, she decided to eavesdrop. “Can you elaborate?” The twins’ mother knew of their problems regarding authority. Sometimes, however, that authority deserved it.

“I correct him in class,” Will answered plainly. 

“He disrupts class with his opinion,” Harris amended.

Will scoffed. “Opinion? It’s physics, not a rhetorical analysis. I correct you when you’re wrong, and you get mad.”

Jen rested her hand on Will’s shoulder as a polite indicator to be quiet. “I understand that Will can be very… blunt. But he means well.” Nina had to suppress her snort. “I mean this with all due respect as a fellow educator, is Will right when he disrupts class?”

Harris chuckled. “Respectfully, Missus Holmes, I don’t know what you teach, but as a science teacher—”

Oh, that was too good of an opportunity to pass up. “Mum, check this out!” Nina pulled a familiar quantum physics textbook off of the shelf and presented it to the three at the front of the classroom. “It’s your book!”

It wasn’t completely the science teacher’s fault, as Nina and Will’s mother had introduced herself as Jen, and the first name on the book was I. Holmes, but that didn’t stop the rush of pride in both teenagers as she turned back to Harris with a polite smile. “Respectfully, Mister Harris, it’s Doctor Holmes.”

~~~

“The what of who?” 

“The beast of Gevaudan.” Lydia stuck a strawberry in her mouth as Allison read from her book. It was something about her family history, but Nina couldn’t find it in her to listen as her mind returned to the mountain lion from the previous night. 

All of the screams and car horns drowned out as Nina stood face to face with the mountain lion. It was an adult female, from the looks of it. Her mind raced with the tips on what to do when encountering the animal. Appear larger, make noise, don’t turn your back, and don’t make eye contact. Despite knowing what to do, she couldn’t help but stare into the eyes of the creature. It looked right back at her, with its ears up and twitching towards the sounds around them. It almost appeared relaxed. Its back legs shifted, like it was about to sit down, and—

“Nina?” 

She blinked, seeing Allison staring at her with a worried look. A quick glance to the side showed Lydia had left at some point. Nina was usually more observant. “Sorry,” She muttered, taking a bite from her lunch. She wasn’t hungry, but it was better to get something in her if possible. “I read about Gevaudan for an essay in my mythology class about clinical lycanthropy.”

“Clinical lycanthropy? Like… being a werewolf is a medical condition?” Allison laughed and set the book down.

Nina nodded. “ Thinking you’re a werewolf is a medical condition. It’s actually really interesting. Cases boomed after word got out about a large wolf-monster, it was almost like a witch hunt for things that could be easily explained by poor harvests and hungry animals. I can grab you some books from the library tomorrow, they might have more information about your family.”

“You would really do that?” 

“Of course.” It was getting books from the library, not solving world hunger. “After not celebrating your birthday yesterday, I owe you.”

Allison smiled. “You don’t owe me anything. You already gave me that photo of us at the lacrosse game. And don’t worry about not celebrating my birthday, I’d rather not have the reminder of last night.”

Nina didn’t register the pain in her knees as she fell to the ground, her hands covering the gunshot wound. Tears blurred her vision and all she could register was the color of the mountain lion’s fur against the pavement, and the bright red blood that only reminded her of the video store worker.

“Nina.” Allison rested her hand over Nina’s, halting the shaking that Nina hadn’t noticed until that moment. “Do you need to go home?”

“No, I’m fine. Sorry.” Nina’s head throbbed as she sighed. 

Allison pursed her lips and squeezed Nina’s hand. “I’ll drive you and Will home after school. I don’t know if I trust you driving, and I definitely don’t trust Will after he almost rear-ended me last week.” Nina began to protest, but Allison cut her off. “I’ll just let my dad know to pick me up from your apartment. He took my car keys, so he would have had to pick me up from school anyway.”

Letting out another sigh, Nina nodded. “All right.”

“I finally won an argument with you,” Allison grinned.

“Treasure that feeling now, you won’t get used to it.” Nina rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help but smile back at Allison. She glanced down at the open book about the beast of Gevaudan, and her brow furrowed at the drawings. One of them was only from the torso up, and it looked like a horrible werewolf costume seen in movies. The other one was the creature from the side, with thick back legs, a large torso, and thinner front legs. It looked like the second photo of the parking lot.

Chapter Text

Nearly forty-eight hours wasn’t the longest Nina had gone without sleep. Her migraines often left her sleep-deprived in some manner, but for once, the pain in her head was merely a side effect of the stress and trauma of the past few days. Her room was pitch black, the only noise being the sound of her fan as she laid in bed with a cold pack resting on her forehead. Her internal clock told her it had been at least an hour since she’d been in that position, and sleep wouldn’t come to her no matter how hard she tried to force it. 

The sound of her phone buzzing tempted Nina to slam her head into the wall. At least then she might get some sleep. With a groan, she reached for the offending device, careful not to move her head too quickly and cause more pain. The screen caused her to wince, and Nina quickly turned the brightness down before looking at the message from Scott.

“Can you please do me a favor? I left my keys in my locker at school and I’m at the clinic right now, I can’t leave to get them.” -Scott

Idiot. “Yeah, I’ll send Will to loan you my keys so you can lock up. Just return them to me tomorrow.”  

She set her phone down and closed her eyes again. Another buzz caused another surge of annoyance, and she looked at the next message. “I left my house keys. My mom is working overnight, so I won’t be able to get into my house. Can you please go to the school and get them for me? They’re in my locker.”

“The school is locked by now. Sleep over at a friend’s house. You should have at least one.” Nina turned her phone onto silent and slammed it down again, screwing her eyes shut. A second later she opened her eyes and sighed. She was just irritable from the lack of sleep. “I’ll check and see if the doors are unlocked. You owe me.”

“Thank you!”

Nina fought through the pressure build-up in her head as she got up and walked to Will’s room. The door was open, and he was adding more to his personal case file. “Come on. You have to drive me to the school.”

He paused, turning to her with an annoyed look. “It’s almost ten o’clock. What the fuck do you need from the school?”

“I need to grab something from my locker. I’ll pay you.” She did not have the patience to explain why she was actually going, and the promise of monetary gain often assured no questions asked.

Sure enough, Will shut his laptop and stood. “Let’s go.”

~~~

She would kill Scott. Nina plotted the boy’s demise as she glared at Stiles and Jackson’s cars and the wide-open door of the school, knowing some idiotic plot was happening in order for Scott to beg her to be there at the same time as them. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Nina unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door, then glared at Will as he did the same. “What?”

Will only stared at her, his brow furrowed in annoyance as he scoffed. “If you didn’t trust yourself to drive, I don’t trust you to not pass out in the school. I would rather not have to waste time looking for you while you’re unconscious.”

“Whatever.” Nina stomped up the steps, her anger only feuling her headache. As she entered the building, she heard voices in the lobby. 

“Why do I get the feeling you didn’t send that message?” Allison was there too, apparently.

“Because I didn’t.” Scott. Nina walked in with Will behind her, and Allison, Scott, and Stiles turned to them both. 

“What are you two doing here?” Stiles demanded. 

Nina only maintained her glare on Scott as she held out her own text exchange with him. Scott scrolled through it, the confusion on his face increasing before he looked up at her. “I didn’t send this, I promise—"

“I have not slept in the past forty hours, and you’re pulling this bullshit?” Nina stepped forward, still unclear on what her plan would be when she got her hands on him when Will grabbed her shoulder.

“He's telling the truth, Nini,” He sighed. “Where's Jackson? His car was in the parking lot.”

“Jackson's here too?”

“And Lydia, what’s going on?” Allison’s phone rang, and she answered. “Where are you?”

The doors to the hallway opened, and Lydia and Jackson joined them. “Finally,” Lydia sighed once she saw everyone. “Nini, Will, how nice of you to join us. Can we go now?”

A heavy thud was heard overhead, followed by shuffling and pounding. Nina looked up and saw the small plaster ceiling tiles move, as though they were about to…

“Run!” 

The group ran further into the school as a large creature crashed through the ceiling and bounded after them. The stretch of the hallway appeared longer and longer with each step, and Nina was convinced that at the tail end, she would be killed first. Miraculously, the doors opened and everyone made it through to the cafeteria. Nina spun around and peered through the tiny window on the door, managing to catch the smallest glimpse of what had been chasing them. Thick back legs, a large torso, thinnger front legs… and bright red eyes.

“It should have gotten me,” Nina whispered as she was forced back by everyone else. “It was too big for us to outrun it. It should have been able to get me—”

“It didn’t, and it won’t.” Will pushed her gently into a chair as everyone else scrambled around to barricade the door. The scraping of the chairs’ metal legs scratched its way into Nina’s skull. All she could do to try and combat it was plug her ears and screw her eyes shut, but the noise still wormed through her eardrums. 

Only Stiles and Will stood back and watched everyone else, the former trying and failing to get their attention. It wasn’t until both he and Will shouted at the same time that the scraping finally stopped, and Nina let out an exhale of relief. “Okay, nice work! Really beautiful job, everyone. Now, what should we do about the twenty foot wall of windows?” 

Nina opened her eyes to survey the room. No one spoke at the realization that the only thing they truly accomplished was locking themselves in the cafeteria, instead of keeping whatever the fuck had been chasing them out. 

Allison sniffled. “Can somebody please explain to me what is going on, because I’m freaking out here, and I would like to know why.”

“Oh, well, since you’re freaking out.” Will rolled his eyes and walked to the windows, peering outside.

“Shut up, Will,” Nina groaned. She looked at Scott, who had just been helplessly gaping at Allison like a dying fish. “Scott, Allison and I both got fake texts from you. Why?”

He only moved away from Allison and leaned against a table, refusing to look at anyone. Allison repeated his name, but that fell on deaf ears as he instead looked at Stiles. “Somebody killed the janitor,” Stiles answered as he stepped forward. 

“What?” 

“Yeah, the janitor’s dead.”

Allison let out a shocked laugh. “What is he talking about? Is this a joke?”

“What— Who killed him?”

“No, no, this was supposed to be over…” Lydia’s voice got tighter as she fought tears. “The mountain lion—”

Jackson glared at Lydia as he snapped. “Don’t you get it? There wasn’t a mountain lion.”

“Who was it?” Allison demanded. “What does he want? Scott!”

He finally turned around to face them, still helpless. “I— I don’t know! I just… if we go out there, he’s going to kill us.”

“Us? He’s going to kill us?”

As opposed to what, letting the rest of them go? “Who is it?” 

There were plenty of reasons for Scott and Stiles to not know who was trying to kill them. Nina was just about to point that out in an attempt to get everyone to just shut up for a second, but Scott beat her to it. “Derek,” He answered. “It’s Derek Hale.” He then proceeded to blame all of the deaths on the man, including the death of his sister, which Nina and Will had already ruled out on their own. And while Nina had never met him personally, she was pretty damn sure he was not built like whatever the hell was in the hallway. “And if we don’t get out of here now, he’s going to kill us too.”

“So call the cops,” Jackson ordered.

“No.”

Everyone turned on Stiles, who had immediately denied the most logical course of action. “What do you mean, no?” 

“I mean no, you wanna hear it in Spanish? No.” What an asshole. As everyone except Scott looked like they were about to kill Stiles, he continued talking. “Look, he’s already killed three people. We don’t know what he’s armed with.”

“Your dad is armed with an entire sheriff’s department! Call him!”

“I’m calling,” Lydia decided, walking over to Nina. Stiles followed, attempting to dissuade her, but was blocked by Jackson. Nina could hear the immediate connection to dispatch over Lydia’s phone. “Yes, we’re at Beacon Hills High School, we’re trapped and we need you to—” The dispatcher immediately cut Lydia off, claiming someone had tipped them off about a prank call. “But—” Her jaw dropped as the line clicked out, and she looked at Nina with wide eyes. “She hung up on me.”

“The police hung up on you?”

“She said they got a tip warning them that there are gonna be prank calls about a break-in to the high school. She said that if I called again they’re gonna trace it and have me arrested.”

Nina knew what this was. It wasn’t real. She was dreaming. She had actually managed to fall asleep, and this bizarre nightmare started once she got the texts from Scott. That’s why this group, of all people, was there. Her subconscious threw together the people she saw most often, added in the creature she saw in the sheriff’s photographs and Allison’s book, and made that creature the latest public suspect, Derek Hale. 

She was brought back to attention by Will snapping his fingers in her face. “Nini, now’s not the time to space out.”

“It’s fine, Willy,” Nina scoffed. “We’re not in any danger.”

“What?” Lydia demanded, her eyes wide as she stared at Nina incredulously. “I think we’re in a lot of danger, Nini!”

She waved Lydia off and stood. Will immediately held his hands out and stepped closer to her, as if he was preparing to catch her if she fell. “I figured it out. This is just a nightmare.”

“Hey, what the fuck is wrong with her?” Jackson demanded angrily. 

Will sighed and ignored Jackson, leaning down slightly to meet Nina’s eye. “Nina, this is real. I promise.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, of course. Either way, Derek Hale or whoever or whatever was out there won’t kill us.” Scott and Stiles were whispering amongst themselves while Jackson, Allison, Lydia, and Will all stared at Nina with varying levels of skepticism and worry. “Let’s be realistic, if it wanted us dead, we would be dead. The deaths so far have been linked to the Hale fire, and we have nothing to do with that. It just wants to scare us.”

It looked like Allison’s eyes were about to bug out of her head. “Why?”

Nina shrugged. “I don’t know.” 

Jackson set his jaw and clenched his fists, breaking up Scott and Stiles’s two-person huddle. “Okay, assheads, new plan. Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and decent aim. Are we good with that?” He asked sarcastically, looking around the room. 

“He’s right.” Scott was the first to respond. “Tell him the truth if you have to, just call him.”

Stiles glanced back at everyone else before turning back to Scott, muttering something unintelligible. He shook his head and walked away. Jackson followed, ready to take Stiles’s phone by force, when Stiles spun around and punched him in the face. “Best dream ever,” Nina muttered, momentarily forgetting the horror movie she was in. “Allison, just call your dad,” She suggested. The girl was comforting Jackson on the floor when she looked back at Nina in shock. “He’s a hunter.”

“What?” Scott’s voice cracked as he froze, looking at Nina with wide eyes.

“Someone with a gun and decent aim?” He seemed to calm down a little at her clarification, but was still bothered by the idea as he looked back at Stiles. 

Stiles sighed and pulled out his phone, calling his dad. He announced that it went to voicemail and started leaving a message. Then, the barricaded door began banging. 

“See? It didn’t start doing that until we tried calling. It wants us to be scared and turn on each other. For some reason.” Nina stifled a yawn as everyone huddled together, Will pulling Nina behind him. Her brow furrowed as she peered around everyone. The banging continued, and the chairs began to give under the pressure. “Huh. It’s very persistent.”

“Because he wants to kill us, Nina!” Lydia shouted. 

“The kitchen leads to the stairwell,” Will announced. 

“Which only goes up!”

“Up is better than here,” Stiles agreed.

The hinges began loosening as the pounding on the door got harder, and everyone ran to the kitchen. Will still had a tight grip on Nina’s wrist, pulling her along with everyone. Her head still hurt. Was it possible to have migraines while dreaming? They ran up the stairwell to the second floor of the school as the creature growled behind them, and scrambled into the nearest classroom. Scott barricaded the door once more as everyone stopped to catch their breath. A headache could occur while sleeping, and Nina was used to them, but they always woke her up. She never dreamt about having a migraine. It was possible, but unlikely. Which made this scenario a lot scarier. She moved over to a desk and propped herself up by her palms.

Scott stepped closer to Jackson, keeping his voice low. “How many people does your car fit?”

“Five, if someone squeezes on someone’s lap.”

“Five?” Allison demanded incredulously. “I barely fit in the back!”

“Nina’s car can fit everyone if we want to squeeze in,” Will cut in. “Otherwise, we can split up.”

“No way!” Lydia immediately denied the thought.

Stiles sighed. “It doesn’t matter, There’s no getting out without drawing attention.”

“So we draw attention!” Will argued. “We outran him before.”

“No, I think Nina was right.” At Stiles’s words, everyone glanced at her. “He was just waiting outside of the cafeteria until I tried to call my dad. If we make a genuine attempt to escape and he knows about it, he’s done playing with his food.”

Scott turned to the second door in the room, which led to the roof. “He won’t know about it, and we can get down through the fire escape!”

“That’s a deadbolt.” Meaning they couldn’t get to the roof. 

“The janitor has the key.”

“You mean his body has it.”

Scott was only deterred by that for a moment. “I can get it,” He insisted, leaning in to whisper something to Stiles. Stiles whisper-argued back, but Scott shook his head. “I’m getting the key.”

“Are you serious?” Allison asked as Scott returned to the door that led out to the hallway.

“Well, it’s the best plan.”

“Is it?” Will asked rhetorically. “Because I doubt that the plan which involves one unarmed person traveling down to find the janitor’s body — which could have been moved — and then returning, still unarmed, to unlock the door to the roof is a better plan than us just running out the front entrance.”

Scott sighed. “I mean, it’s quieter. And yeah, it’s not the most logical thing in the world, which means he might not expect it and won’t be looking.”

That was quite possibly the dumbest thing Nina had ever heard. And she’d heard a lot. “You can’t go out there unarmed,” Allison insisted, gesturing to Will in agreement. 

Nina watched in amazement as Scott grabbed the closest thing to him — a thin wooden pointer with a plastic hand on top. At everyone’s stare, he shrugged. “It’s better than nothing!”

“You know what’s better than that?” Nina tested. “The fire extinguisher right below that useless stick! Hit the guy with it once and he goes down, and we can get out of here!”

Lydia turned to Nina with a grin. “Maybe not a fire extinguisher.” She then turned to look at the cabinet full of different chemicals and solvents. 

“What are we gonna do, throw acid on him?”

“It’s a better idea than Scott’s,” Will defended. 

Lydia rolled her eyes. “No, like a fire bomb. In that cabinet is everything you need to make a self-igniting molotov cocktail.”

“Finally,” Will sighed. “Someone can actually think. That is the best plan we’ve heard tonight.”

“Look at us, burning down the school together.” Nina pushed past everyone and went to Harris’s desk, finding the key to the cabinet ‘hidden’ underneath a stack of papers. She held it up with a tense smile. “This may bring us closer yet.”

She unlocked the cabinet, pulling out everything that Lydia instructed her to. “And you’re sure you got everything right?” Will asked, looking inside the cabinet himself to double check that no key ingredients were missing.

“Of course. I’m sleep deprived, not stupid.” 

Will and Lydia were on cocktail duty, the former measuring and the latter mixing, with Jackson passing over the necessary ingredients. The last thing to add was sulfuric acid, and once the mixture was stirred together and corked, Lydia handed it to Scott. Now that the plan was real, Allison shook her head. “No, this is insane, you can’t do this. You cannot go out there!”

“We can’t just sit here for Stiles’s dad to check his messages,” Scott argued. 

Allison let out a shaky breath. “You could die. Don’t you get that? He’s killed three people.”

“And we’re next.” Allison scoffed at his reply. “Somebody has to do something.”

“I’m sorry,” Nina interrupted, holding her hands up as Allison and Scott both turned to her angrily. “We’re still banking on Scott’s stupid plan with the keys? I thought we were going to throw this at the killer and escape together while he’s on fire.”

“This needs to be a last resort,” Scott explained. 

“Exactly! We’re on our last resort!” Why the hell was he trying so hard to be a hero?

Scott groaned. “Nina, I have to—”

“Scott, just stop!” Allison was on the verge of tears as she stormed up to Scott. “Do you remember when you told me you knew whether or not I was lying? That I had a tell?” He nodded. “So do you. You’re a horrible liar, and you’ve been lying all night. Just… just please don’t go. Please don’t leave us. Please."

He left anyway. Not before Allison pulled him into a kiss that went on long enough to be awkward for everyone else, though. Jackson made sure the door was locked behind Scott, and Will turned to Stiles. “Your friend is an idiot.”

“Yeah, I know,” Stiles sighed. 

“I don’t get this,” Allison said. “I don’t get why he’s out there, why he left us — Nina was right, why didn’t we go with him? I can’t stop my hands from shaking.”

“It’s okay,” Jackson said softly, taking Allison’s hands. Nina’s face scrunched up in disgust at the sight, side-eyeing Will as he mirrored her expression. What was Jackson playing at now?

Will scoffed and shook his head, going back to the bottles. “Someone help me put these away,” He said, lifting up one clear bottle and another amber-colored one. He paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked between the amber-colored bottle in his hand and the similar one on the table. “Jackson, you gave me the sulfuric acid, right?” The one he was holding was the one that Jackson handed to him, and it wasn’t labled. 

“It has to be sulfuric acid, it won’t ignite if it’s not,” Lydia agreed. 

“I gave you exactly what you asked for, didn’t I?” Jackson asked, automatically on the defensive.

Will set his jaw and set the two jars down. “What I asked for was sulfuric acid. Did you give me what I asked for?”

“I can read a label, Holmes.”

“Interesting,” He said, once again lifting up the jar Jackson had given him. “Because this one doesn’t have a label to read. But I know it’s not sulfuric acid, because I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“Then I gave you the one with the label,” Jackson said through grit teeth. He stepped towards Will, but was stopped by Lydia’s hand on his chest.

“I’m sure you got the right one.” Lydia’s assurance wasn’t convincing, even to her. 

Just then, the same growling from earlier sounded, but this time it felt like it was splitting through Nina’s eardrums. She screwed her eyes shut and clamped her hands over her ears, but the sound reverberated through her body, like the acoustics at concerts. Her brain had felt like cotton all night, but that was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. The immediate pressure build-up felt like her eyes were going to pop out of her skull. On top of all of that, Jackson was screaming out in pain. 

“Nina?” She shook her head softly, but even that much movement only added to her pain. More muddled words from whoever was speaking swam together, and she felt pressure on her arms and shoulders pushing her down into a chair. Another hand pressed her head down so it was between her knees, and what felt like an ice pack was placed on the back of her head. When the pounding in her head finally lessened enough for her to be aware of her surroundings, Nina looked up to see everyone arguing. Lydia knelt in front of her, glaring at Jackson. “He’s had those marks for days, and he won’t tell me what happened.”

“As if you actually cared.” 

The sneer held more venom than usual, and Lydia flinched back to look at Nina. “Nini, your nose is bleeding. Someone get me tissues.” Will lifted the ice pack away from Nina’s head and returned it to the first aid kit as Allison got a box of tissues from the front of the room. As she handed it to Lydia, Allison instructed Nina to hold her head back. “No, that might cause the blood to go down her throat and she may vomit.” The correction wasn’t harsh, but Allison was already geared up enough that it offended her. 

“Where’s Scott?” Allison asked, holding her arms around herself. “He should be back by now.”

No one answered. The realistic reason for why he wasn’t back yet after that monstrous growl was too frightening to voice aloud. A small click was heard from the door, and Scott appeared in the small window before walking away. Allison began shouting his name and ran to the door, jiggling the handle, but it was locked from the outside. 

“Where’s he going?” Lydia asked. 

Allison continued shouting for Scott. Nina usually considered her perception of noise a curse when she had a migraine, but this time it appeared to be a blessing, as she still heard faint sirens. “Allison, shut up!” She went to the window, not caring if she hurt Allison’s feelings. “Stiles’s dad finally checked his voicemail.” 

Everyone joined her as two squad cars and an ambulance pulled into the parking lot, finally saved from this living nightmare. 

~~~

“What the hell are you doing here?” Nina asked as the EMT sat her next to her boss. The woman began the routine check on Nina as another EMT was just finishing the same routine on Deaton, who had a nasty bump on his head, but wasn’t too worse for wear otherwise.

Deaton chuckled. “Derek Hale kidnapped me and brought me here. I managed to escape, but I was too out of it to get very far.”

It didn’t make any sense. The routine check on Nina was finished, and they were left alone while the EMTs got more supplies just out of earshot. “Was it really Derek?” She whispered, watching Deaton’s face.

His brow furrowed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Her jaw set, Nina was frustrated that she couldn’t glean anything from him. “I saw it.”

“It?”

“It didn’t look like Derek,” Nina insisted. “It… it looked like the photos from the video store. The second photo. You were acting weird when the sheriff showed us yesterday, do you know what it was?”

Deaton sighed and patted her knee. “Nina, you were right about all of these attacks being done by a human. I get that this was traumatizing, but—”

“Don’t patronize me,” She snapped, feeling her throat tighten. “I was wrong. Whatever was in the school with us wasn’t Derek, and it wasn’t human. If you know what’s going on…” She wasn’t able to finish her statement as the EMTs returned with heart rate monitors and strapped them onto both Deaton and Nina.

“There you are!” Deaton smiled warmly at Stiles and Scott as they approached. He didn’t even look at Nina when the boys stopped in front of them, and Scott began asking Deaton about how he escaped. “I was just telling Nina here that I wasn’t able to get far. But from what the police are telling me, I’m alive because of you. I think I owe you a raise. The both of you.” He finally spared Nina a glance, ignoring her accusatory glare. 

“Guys, come on.” Sheriff Stilinski grabbed Scott and Stiles, pulling them away. “Let the EMTs do their job. You can talk to them later.”

Once Nina’s EMT was done with the full examination, it was recommended that she stay the night at the hospital for observation. Deaton was allowed to leave, passing by Will and Jen as he gave the two a small wave. 

“Are you okay?” Jen began the assault on Nina as soon as she was in arms reach, brushing her hair back and inspecting her face. “God, of course you aren’t, why didn’t you call me?”

Will sighed. “We were a bit preoccupied, Mum.”

Jen huffed and turned to Will, throwing her arms around him. “God, I’m so sorry I wasn’t home when you left, I should have—”

“It’s alright.” 

“It’s not alright, it’s my job to make sure that this doesn’t happen.”

“Mum.” Nina felt tears prick at her eyes. “They want me to spend the night at the hospital. Can we just go?”

Jen paused before nodding with a sigh, cradling Nina’s cheek. “Of course, Darling.”

Chapter Text

Nina spent plenty of nights in hospitals for her migraines. Her first week in Beacon Hills was spent at the hospital for the unrelenting stabbing in the back of her head, and she was in and out of the examination room for the past year and a half. In London, it was a similar story.

Suffice to say, she was familiar with useless doctors.

“Did you do your residency online?” She glared at the doctor she didn’t bother learning the name of as he tried to prescribe her sumatriptan. “If you could actually read, sumatriptan made my migraines worse. It’s in my file.”

He forced a smile. “I must have missed that.”

“I told you the birth control is working, last night’s episode was due to stress and lack of sleep.”

“And the lack of sleep was because of?”

Witnessing a dead human being and an animal getting shot right in front of her in the span of just twenty-four hours. “More stress.”

He shook his head in disappointment, as though she just said she stayed awake for fun. “You told the nurse that was with you overnight that this was the worst migraine you’ve ever had. How would you rate it on a scale of one to ten?”

“In comparison to what I’m used to or independently?”

“In comparison.”

“Fifteen.”

He almost scoffed. “On a scale of one to ten, Miss Holmes.”

She continued to stare at him blankly. “Fifteen.”

He let out a long sigh. “And independently? On a scale of one to ten, please.”

“Twenty.” 

Setting his clipboard down, the doctor stared at her, deadpan. “You stayed conscious.”

“Barely,” She gritted out. 

“A ten is barely staying conscious,” He replied. “I don’t appreciate you exaggerating your symptoms in search of pain medication.”

If only her mother was there to hear that one. She and Will were busy getting Nina’s car from the school, and Jen wasn’t about to just drop him off at the school and trust that he could get it home in one piece by himself. Nina was mentally adding this doctor to the list of the worst ones she’d ever spoken to. “I’m sorry, just how incompetent are you? Or are you so narcissistic that you can’t comprehend anything anyone ever tells you unless it’s your own name?” 

He didn’t try to glare at her, but it was obvious that he was holding back some choice words. Nina wished he would just say them — it might actually make her respect him. Might. “Nurse McCall is your usual attending. I’ll see if she can come in and see you.”

“Don’t you dare, it’s her day off!” Nina was informed that Melissa called in to make sure Scott was okay, and she was not going to force the poor woman back to the hospital. He rolled his eyes as Nina sat up further in the bed. “Get Doctor Perez if he isn’t busy, he’s been my doctor before, and he actually knows what he’s doing.”

His eye twitched slightly. “Of course.” 

As he all but stomped out the door, Nina shouted after him. “And learn some bedside manners while you’re at it! Fucking twat.” She fell back into bed, glaring at the ceiling as her anger stirred.

“Abusing the staff already?” Nina looked up to see Danny in the doorway, holding a to-go cup of coffee in each hand. 

“He deserved it,” Nina grumbled, taking the second coffee from Danny’s outstretched hand once he entered the room. 

Taking the nearby chair, Danny laughed. “I don’t doubt it. He was Jackson’s doctor when he got his shoulder dislocated. He’s hot, though.”

Nina rolled her eyes. “Is that why you came to visit? To see if he was working today?”

He tilted his head from one side to the other, pretending to contemplate the reasons. “No, I actually came to see if Nurse O’Donnel was working today. He isn’t, but I figured I’d stick around and see how you’re doing.” Nina snorted, and Danny smiled softly. “Seriously, how are you doing?”

With a smile, Nina lifted her coffee. “Never better, Daniel.”

~~~

The moment Nina and Jen got back home from the hospital, Nina went to her room and threw herself on her bed. Too many people in the span of just a few days. She needed a social detox. Nina knew she wouldn’t get that until after the sleepover that Lydia strong-armed Allison and Nina into having at Allison’s, but she could get at least some time alone before then.

At a knock at the door, Nina knew it wouldn’t be any time soon. The knock was soft and unsure. “Come in, Isaac,” Nina called. Sitting up, she watched as the door opened to reveal the boy. He was already in Will’s room when Nina got back with Jen, and a short while after that, the sheriff arrived. 

“Sheriff Stilinski kicked me out so he could get Will’s statement,” Isaac explained, still standing in the doorway. “Can I come in?”

Nina smiled. “I already told you that you could.”

“Right.” He let out a small chuckle and entered the room, fully prepared to just stand until Nina told him he could sit wherever he liked. Isaac looked around before pulling out her desk chair and sitting awkwardly. “I know you’re probably tired of this question, but how are you feeling?”

She was tired of it, but it was hard to be annoyed with Isaac for anything. “Better,” Nina shrugged. “The doctor was a dick, but other than that, the night was fine.” They gave her enough medication to make sure she slept and prescribed her with insomnia medication. It was the same drug and dose as Natalie Martin’s.

“Good.” He reached up and scratched the back of his neck, peering around the room before his eyes landed on Nina once more. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

Nina knew he didn’t mean the hospital. “There was nothing you could have done, Isaac. I was already stupid enough to go there and drag Will with me—”

“You weren’t stupid.” She was surprised by the certainty in his tone. “You thought you were doing something nice.”

She snorted. “Is that what Will said?” He was pissed at her once she told him why she actually brought him to the school and showed Will the texts. She highly doubted he gave her the benefit of the doubt when relaying what happened to Isaac.

“Will’s opinion doesn’t matter.” So he was still angry. Good to know. “It’s like that saying, y’know? Hindsight is twenty-twenty. You can’t blame yourself for something you didn’t know was going to happen.”

Nina chewed the inside of her cheek and turned to look out the window. Maybe not, but she could certainly recognize that she put her own brother in danger. “What did Finstock say about the sudden cancelled practices?” With the school days cancelled, so were all after-school activities. 

Isaac groaned and threw his head back, bringing a smile to Nina’s face. “We have to run enough suicides to cover at least one full practice. He said he’ll be able to tell if we don’t.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. The man’s insane.” 

Laughing, Isaac nodded. “Do you think he’s always been like that, or did teaching completely destroy him?”

“It has to be genetic,” Nina joked. “Have you heard him talk about his family? The lot of them are nutters.” 

After about ten minutes of Nina and Isaac talking, Sheriff Stilinski and Jen came to Nina’s room for her own statement. Isaac left with a small wave, and the sheriff stood while Jen sat on the edge of Nina’s bed, resting her hand on her daughter’s knee. 

“How are you feeling, Nina?”

Nina smiled politely. “Better.” Yeah, she was definitely tired of the question. “How’s Stiles?” She was mostly asking to be polite, but she did care. He was a victim too, even if it felt like he and Scott were intentionally keeping information from everyone else.

Stilinski sighed. “He’s… Stiles. But he’s doing well. As well as he can be, y’know?” Nina and Jen both nodded. “I was hoping you could tell me everything you remember from last night. Will told me you were pretty out of it.”

“I thought I was dreaming for a few minutes,” Nina confirmed. “I don’t know how valuable my statement will be.”

“I can’t say it would hold up in court, but anything we can get is useful to the case.”

She nodded once more. “Of course.” Taking her phone out and pulling up the messages from Scott, she handed it over to the sheriff. “I was trying to force myself to sleep when I got these texts from Scott’s phone. Because I hadn’t slept since Monday at that point, I didn’t trust myself to drive and took Will with me. We saw Stiles and Jackson’s cars in the parking lot, and found Scott, Allison, and Stiles in the foyer. When I showed Scott my messages, he denied sending them. Allison said she also received a message from him that he denied sending.”

“Do you believe Scott sent the messages?”

Nina sighed. “I did, at the time. I thought he was messing with me. But looking back on it now, he seemed genuinely confused by the texts. He’s a bad liar, so I doubt he could have faked it.”

“If only you and Allison received the messages, what were Lydia and Jackson doing there?”

“Lydia told me they gave Allison a ride after Scott stood her up for a date.”

The sheriff nodded and gestured for her to continue. She got to the part where she saw something outside of the cafeteria when he interrupted her again for clarification. “You saw some thing?”

“I thought I saw the creature from the photos of the video store,” Nina admitted with a sigh. “I must have been hallucinating. That’s where I began to believe I was dreaming the whole thing up. I didn’t realize it was real until we got up to the chemistry room.” It was hard to admit. Nina always prided herself on having the facts, but she couldn’t even trust her own mind during the most traumatic experience in her life.

The only other time the sheriff asked for clarification was with the noise that almost caused Nina to black out completely. “What was the sound?”

“It didn’t sound human. My best guess is that someone played it over the loudspeakers. It was so loud that…” If Nina even thought about it, it still sent shivers down her spine. “I could feel it reverberating through me. I think it was an animal growling.”

There wasn’t much of the story after that. Sheriff Stilinski thanked her for her time and began to leave the room. He stopped at the doorway, sending her a guilty smile. “I’m sorry, for not believing you about the murders not being animal attacks. Just know that I’m doing everything in my power to make sure this guy goes to jail for a long, long time.”

Nina smiled in return, the pit in her stomach only deepening. “Thank you, Sheriff.”

~~~

Family meals were hardly ever a priority for the Holmses, but Jen decided to have everyone sit down together for lunch. Jen and Nina sat on one side of the dining room table, while Will and Isaac sat on the other. 

Will was currently pretending Nina didn’t exist. It was easy enough; everyone at the table was already tense given the past twenty-four hours, and all he had to do was either not respond when she spoke, or purposefully leave her out. About twenty minutes of that was all Nina could take before she pushed herself up from the table. “I’m going to the library,” She announced, adopting a calm voice.

Now Will acknowledged her existence. “Why? Did someone leave their house keys in the children’s section?”

Jen’s head snapped to her son. “William!”

“No, actually.” Nina beamed, interrupting her mother from scolding him. “I got a text from Derek Hale. He wants to apologize! He actually wants to meet after dark, but I thought I would get there early and do some reading.”

“That’s almost as stupid as whatever you were thinking last night.”

“I don’t seem to recall you stringing two thoughts together.”

Will huffed. “I was a bit busy making sure you didn’t faceplant.”

With a sneer, Nina rolled her eyes. “How generous of you.”

“Nina, please—”

Nina spun on her heel and went to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She shoved books that needed to be returned in her library tote, along with two bottles of excedrin, caffeine pills, her wattle bottle, and a can of bear spray. Her car keys were in her coat pocket, which she shrugged on as her mother knocked on the door and opened it, leaning against the doorway. 

“I don’t care that you’re in a library, keep your ringer on so you can respond to me if I text or call you. Because of curfew, they close at nine. What time are you planning on coming home?”

“Nine.” Nina pulled the straps of her tote over her shoulder. “I’m going to the diner across the street for dinner.”

Jen sighed and nodded. “Okay.” Nina attempted to brush past, but Jen stopped her, her hand resting over Nina’s cheek as she leaned in and pressed a quick peck to her forehead. “Be safe. I love you.”

“Love you.” 

Jen watched Nina as she left, letting out a sigh when the front door closed and locked behind her. She went down the hall to Will’s room, knocking on the door and opening it once she heard a confirmation. She tilted her head, staring at her son in disappointment. “Would you like to discuss what that was about now, or later?”

~~~

Whatever the high school students were doing with their two days off, it wasn’t studying. The library was nearly empty, save for the occasional family or older person stopping in. As patrons cycled through, no one bothered Nina as she thumbed through texts on general cognition. The library didn’t carry any specialized topics regarding sleep deprivation and hallucination, so she would need to get something from the Berkeley library when she got the chance. 

By the time six thirty rolled around, Nina had gone through the entire neuroscience shelf and finished all of her assignments. She gathered her tote with her keys and coat stuffed inside, going to the front desk. “Marta, I’ll be back in about an hour. I left my books out for when I get back. I’m going to the diner; did you want me to get you anything?”

The young woman peered at Nina over her glasses with a smile. “I’m alright, thank you.” Marta had just graduated with her Masters in library science, and was the new head librarian at the Beacon Hills Public Library. She was good at her job, and Nina liked her a lot more than the previous guy. He always got on her about keeping too many books at her table, and never would have let her leave her things if she stepped away for more than five minutes. She respected the man, but it was still annoying.

Her dinner was fine. The establishment was never very busy, even around meal rush times, so Nina was able to get in and out in about forty-five minutes. She got back to see Marta no longer at the front desk — probably reshelving — and when she turned the corner to her usual spot, someone else was sitting there.

Nina knew very well that no one could claim a seat in a public building. In a mostly empty library, however, one would assume that the one spot with books stacked nearby was occupied. Biting back her annoyance, Nina resigned herself to grabbing her things and moving somewhere else. She approached, taking the stack of books and pulling them to her without addressing the man.

“Interesting reads,” He said, grinning up at her. He was still holding one of the books, the page open to a section she had bookmarked. “Sleep deprivation on the brain. Having trouble sleeping? I know a few remedies.”

“I’m fifteen,” Nina responded. Usually that was enough to get weird men to back off.

Seems he was weird and creepy. “So we can’t have a friendly conversation?” He asked with a lax smile.

Her lip curled in disdain. “I’m not interested in being friendly with a man in his forties.”

That got him. He was good at hiding it, but Nina saw the almost-imperceptible drop in his ‘nice’ act. He obviously wasn’t in his forties — Nina wouldn’t place him any older than thirty, but it was an easy insult that wasn’t directly malicious. His smile picked back up in a second and he set the book down on the table. “You said you’re fifteen, do you go to Beacon Hills High School? It’s a shame what happened last night.”

“The janitor was widely loved,” She replied blankly. Oddly enough, that seemed to bother him even more. The side of his face that wasn’t partially paralyzed with a large burn scar twitched into an almost-sneer.

Nina grabbed the book, sliding it towards her side of the table, when the man’s hand slammed onto the cover. She almost swore she could hear the sound of the wooden table cracking from the pressure. “It’s a shame those students had to witness such a thing,” He said, just as calm as before despite the display of strength. “It makes you think, what were they doing at the school so late?”

Warning bells had been going off in her mind for the entire interaction, and they weren’t letting up anytime soon. Jen had always instructed Nina to never let a strange man see that he successfully bothered her. She glanced down at his hand. It was just as scarred as his face. “Teenagers aren’t exactly known for their good decision-making skills or impulse control, since the frontal lobe of the brain isn’t fully developed,” Nina replied calmly, despite her racing heart. “My guess is they broke in to pull some prank and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.” That was her best guess for Scott and Stiles being there, anyway. The text messages were still a mystery to her.

The man tilted his head. “Huh. I didn’t think of that.” He appeared to genuinely regard the new information, as he gave her the same smile as before. “It’s nice to see one teenager that has their head on straight.”

He lifted his hand from the book and stood, strolling away without a glance back in Nina’s direction. It wasn’t until she witnessed him walking out the front doors that she allowed herself to take a deep breath.

“Nina? Are you alright?”

The girl startled, almost dropping the books that were gathered in one arm as she spun to face Marta. She had an empty cart, watching Nina with concern. “Yes, I’m alright,” Nina breathed, fixing the books that had shifted in her grasp. “Do you know who that man was? With the scarring?” With her free hand, Nina gestured to the side of her face.

Marta’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t see him. He must have come in while I was reshelving. Why, was he bothering you?”

Yes. But what would she say? That he was just creepy while carrying a normal conversation? He slammed a hand down on a book for no reason? Nina smiled and shrugged. “Everyone bothers me.”

She chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, me too. Here, let me put those away for you.”

Nina looked down to the books before loading them onto the cart. “Thank you.”

The rest of her time at the library was spent with the section on California wildlife. While Nina had only seen a photo of the mysterious creature at the parking lot and hallucinated it in the school, if it was native to California, there would be an image somewhere. It wasn’t until Nina opened up the possibility that it wasn’t a native animal that she remembered Allison’s book. The beast of Gevaudan. A French wolf-man. 

A human being — Derek Hale, according to Scott, which Nina still had doubts about — dressing up in an elaborate pseudo-wolf costume as a means to kill people connected to the Hale fire. And then corner a bunch of kids at the scene of one of the murders. The very thought made Nina want to admit herself to Eichen. 

When Marta eventually came up to Nina to let her know she was going to shut down the main computer in ten minutes, Nina got her things together and put her books away, then retrieved two for Allison; one on French folklore, and Little Red Riding Hood. The second one was a joke, and one that she would hopefully find funny. 

The moment Nina stepped outside, she felt exposed. Vulnerable. The same way she felt when that man was talking to her. Hairs on the back of her neck stood as she got her keys out of her bag and left her other hand inside the tote, clutched around her bear spray. Maybe she was just paranoid, but after last night, it was a smarter trait than she usually gave it credit for. She stood at the top of the stone steps and looked around, seeing nothing around her save for anything on the other side of the street, and began walking to her car. 

At the bottom step, something jumped out of a bush right next to her. 

Nina screamed and jerked back, tripping on the step before she realized it was just a raccoon that scrambled past. Now her butt hurt. Letting out a sigh, Nina pulled herself back up to her feet. “Paranoia is smart actually” her arse. She wiped stray pebbles and gravel from her palms, then began the walk to her car once more, until something in the corner of her eye stopped her dead in her tracks.

She turned to see what it was, freezing as a familiar figure with bright red eyes stood at the opposite end of the parking lot. Stood. 

There was no way she was hallucinating this. The creature kept its eyes locked on her as it slowly lowered onto its haunches, ready to pounce. Nina softly pressed the unlock button on her keys, and the car lights flashed with a little beep. 

It pounced.

Nina spun and ran to her car, her hands tightening around the can of bear spray in her tote so hard she almost thought the cool metal would burst in her grip. She was only a meter away when what felt like a large hand grabbed her ankle, and Nina started falling to the ground. Her elbows landed harshly against the pavement, and she spun around, not hesitating to spray the mist directly in the creature’s eyes. 

The noise it made was a bizarre mixture of a snarl, growl, and howl of pain as it fell back. Nina was able to scramble to her feet and make the final few steps to her car, wrenching open the door. She could see the creature gaining on her once more in the corner of her eye and grabbed the kitchen knife she had sheathed against the side of the driver’s seat, turning and slashing at the creature’s face just in time. It made the same noise as Nina scrambled into her car, slamming the door shut behind her and pressing the manual lock. All of the other doors were locked beforehand, so it couldn’t get in through those. Nina moved to start the car, but her horror rose when she realized her keys were no longer in her hand. She dropped them outside. Looking out the window, Nina saw they were just where she had been knocked down. Along with her phone. 

The creature’s bloodied face appeared right in front of the window, drawing another scream from Nina as she fell back, scrambling to the passenger seat to put more distance between them. The window occasionally fogged up with the creature breathing heavily against it, but even through that, Nina could see the slash across its face slowly fade until the only evidence that anything had happened to it was the remaining blood. Nina clutched the knife handle to her chest as its clawed hand reached up, dragging down the window with a long scraaaatcch, reaching the door handle. 

It was toying with her. Nina’s mind flashed to the bus seat, and the barricade it easily broke through at the school. A locked car door was nothing.

It paused as its left ear twitched. Red eyes were no longer on her as its head turned, and then a gunshot sounded. Nina flinched in her seat, sliding down more. The creature locked its gaze on her once more before running away.

Another gunshot.

Blood rushed in her ears as her heart pounded in her chest. She sunk lower and lower in her seat until she was practically folded in on herself, tears welling up in her eyes. 

At the sound of a knock on her window, Nina startled again. She held the knife out as threateningly as she could while also shaking like a leaf with tears streaming down her cheeks. Chris Argent’s concerned gaze went from her face to the bloody weapon, his jaw setting as he visibly sighed. He knew. He knew what it was. He must have seen it, if he was the one shooting at it. Right? 

His eyes lifted back up to meet Nina’s, offering what she assumed was meant to be a reassuring smile. In one hand, he held up her phone and keys, then pointed to the door lock. Nina slowly nodded, knowing that if Chris was actually the secret murderer with red contacts or something, she at least had a knife and the passenger door to fall out of. She flinched again when the door unlocked, and Chris stepped into the driver's seat. “Hi, Nina,” He greeted softly, not wanting to agitate her with too loud of a voice. He handed her the phone and started the car. “Your mom was calling when I found the phone. You might want to call her back.”

Before Nina could do that for herself, her mother’s caller ID lit up. “Mum, hi.” Her voice was tight and shaky, and she pulled herself to sit correctly as Chris pulled out of the parking lot.

Nina could tell that any scolding that may have been on her mother’s tongue dissipated at the sound of her greeting. “What’s wrong? I called you three times, and you’re supposed to be home by now.” Jen’s voice was a mix of accusation and worry, a tone that all mothers seemingly had perfected.

Chris tapped the scratched window. Even if her mother wasn’t a super genius, Nina would have a hard time explaining that specific problem. It was better to get it replaced before anyone else saw it. “My car was acting up, I’m sorry. Mister Argent happened to be nearby and called a tow for me. He’s giving me a ride home.” He nodded. 

“What happened that it needed to be towed?”

“A fuel leak. It must have started just earlier today, it’s around the time that I needed to replace it anyhow.” It was true, fortunately. She could have that replaced along with her window. Chris pulled into the gas station only a block away from the library, where his SUV sat at the gas pump. 

Her mother sighed. “Could you give the phone to him, please?” She did just that, hearing Jen thank Chris profusely. 

Still holding her knife, Nina got the essentials out of her car, and the two moved to Chris’s as he chatted idly with her mother. Once he handed Nina the phone back and she was able to say goodbye to Jen, she hung up. “You’re a good liar,” Nina commented dryly. He acted like nothing had happened, like he was just being a good Samaritan in the right place at the right time.

He began the drive, knowing where to go once Nina told him the apartment building. “So are you.”

“Not good enough for her.” Jen would know something was up. Hopefully Nina could just convince her that her nerves were a result of trauma. Being unable to leave, something like that.

Chris chuckled. “Kids never can lie to their parents.” Nina kept her mouth shut regarding all of the times Allison snuck out of the house. He glanced back to the knife. “You keep a chef’s knife in your car?”

“It’s a santoku, actually,” She muttered. 

He nodded. “Good. That knife saved your life tonight.”

Hardly. It was fully ready to rip her face off before Chris started shooting. “What was it?”

“What did you see?”

Deflection. He knew what it was, and he confirmed it indeed was a what and not a who. Nina swallowed, biting the inside of her cheek. “I saw the same thing that was at the video store, and at the school last night.” Chris remained perfectly calm, betraying no emotion. “Red eyes, claws, fur. Its wound healed in ten seconds.”

“Only ten?”

Nina sat up, staring at Chris. “What was it?” She demanded again, her voice rising. “Whatever it was, it wasn’t human, and it wasn’t an animal.”

Chris met her eye for a moment before looking back at the road. “You and Lydia are coming over tomorrow night, right?” Nina nodded. Allison was too depressed about Scott to go to either Nina or Lydia’s places, but too lonely to not want to hang out. They were going to have a girl’s night. Now, that was the last thing on Nina’s mind. “My office is near your building. I’ll show you what it was, tell Allison about the car trouble and that I gave you a ride. If you promise not to tell her anything.”

“Fine.”

They got to Nina’s building, and Chris gave her another parent-like smile. “Try to get some sleep, kid.”

Chapter Text

Popcorn, sweets, and nail polish bottles littered the coffee table as The Princess Bride played on the living room television. Allison had never seen it, which was promptly deemed as a crime by Lydia, and it kicked off their girl’s night. Allison sat on the floor between Lydia’s legs as Lydia braided her hair, and Nina sat curled up in the opposite corner of the sofa. 

“Westley, what about the ROUSes?”

“Rodents of Unusual Size? I don’t think they exist.”

Even though Lydia had the film memorized — which, by extension, meant Nina had it memorized as well — all three girls jumped at the large, furry, and painfully obvious fake rodent that was thrown at Cary Elwes. 

Kate laughed as she passed through the living room. “That scared you guys? Jesus, there’s a lot scarier things in the world than a pillow in a rat costume.”

“… Werewolves?” Nina repeated, the word leaving a bad taste in her mouth as Chris and Kate Argent stood in front of her. The former fronted an image of stoicism and protection as he stood behind the desk, while the latter leaned against it with a look of boredom. Two sets of armor that, while constructed differently, served the same purpose. 

“Wow, you can see the data failing to compute in real time,” Kate teased with a grin. She turned to Chris, jerking her head in Nina’s direction. “I told you she wouldn’t believe us.” There was a silent ‘but Allison would’ that followed. From Chris’s insistence on Allison not hearing a word about the attack, to Kate’s attempt at manipulation — “You should be able to tell your friends anything, I can’t imagine how heartbroken Allison will be to know you didn’t trust her enough” — it was an obvious point of contention between the two.

As idiotic as it made her feel, Nina did believe them. She would have written the attack off as another ‘hallucination,’ if it weren’t for the physical reminders.

“What the hell happened to you?” Lydia demanded. Nina followed her gaze to her ankle, where her pajama pants had ridden up and her sock fell down.

Allison turned, both her and Lydia’s attention was on the large, deep purple bruise that circled her entire ankle. “Bruising is a side effect of the medication I’m on,” Nina lied. “It doesn’t even hurt.” Lydia’s hand shot out to test Nina’s statement, but she dodged, shoving her foot into Lydia’s face instead. The girl squealed out protests as Allison laughed. 

With her hair fully braided, she returned to the couch, effectively stopping Nina’s attack on Lydia. Thankfully, the similar coloring on her elbows and forearms remained hidden by her sleeves.

Chris sighed, dragging his hand over his face. “I didn’t bring her here for fun, Kate. She was almost killed by the alpha.”

“So was Allison.” At Kate’s scoff, Chris said something back. At that point, Nina wasn’t listening.

The alpha. Nina’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Wolves don’t do that.” Both siblings stopped their squabbling to look at her. “Alpha, beta, omega, that bullshit. L. David Mech couldn’t replicate the results, it was disproven.”

Kate huffed a laugh. “Well, sweetheart, these aren’t wolves. They’re shapeshifters. Monsters.” Her smile fell slightly on the last word, really trying to drive it home.

“Then why are they called that?” Nina continued, her confusion only turning into frustration. “They don’t act like wolves, they don’t look like wolves—”

“Some do,” Chris replied. “I’ve only seen a handful that can do it, but some are able to take the form of a wolf.”

None of this was making sense. Nina rubbed her temples, trying to keep herself calm. “Mech’s book on wolves was published in 1970. Did they display a hierarchical structure before then? Did he know about them and falsely attribute their behavior to real wolves? Or did some asshole read the book and decide he wanted to be in charge?”

“That doesn’t matter—”

“Of course it matters!” Nina protested. “Centuries of hunting these things, and you don’t know if there was a shift in their behavior in the last few decades? How bad are you at your jobs?”

Both Kate and Chris shared a look, Kate tilting her head with a smile. “This is gonna be a long day. Should I get lunch?”

It was Nina’s turn to get pampered, Lydia decided, as she forced Nina down to the floor with her hands laid out on the coffee table. Lydia took two bottles of nail polish and put one on either side of Nina’s face. She tilted her head, eyes flitting between the two colors like she was deciding which chemical would cause a bigger reaction in an experiment. “Allison, which color would look best?”

Allison broke her attention from the movie to look at the two bottles. “Uh, the blue?”

Lydia pursed her lips and gave Nina a knowing look. “It’s periwinkle,” She corrected, setting down the pink and opening the bottle Allison chose. “But good choice.”

“Girls, it’s getting a little cold. Do you want me to put on a fire?” Victoria stood at the stairs, overlooking the teenagers in the living room. 

Allison looked up at her mom and shook her head. “No, we’re okay. Thanks, mom.”

Victoria smiled. “Alright. If you change your mind, you know where the matches are.”

With Kate gone, Chris faced Nina alone. The girl sat in an armchair across from the desk while he remained standing. “You said I was almost killed by it. I wasn’t.” Chris didn’t respond, only tilting his head slightly as an indication for her to continue. “If it wanted me dead, I would be dead. Just like at school.”

His eyes closed, the reminder of his own daughter being put in danger just too much to handle. “I don’t know why it attacked you,” Chris admitted. “We don’t know its motives for the murders, either. It’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

The disbelief on Nina’s features increased. “How? It’s going after people involved in the Hale fire.”

“The Hale fire was a tragedy.” Chris’s voice was sharp and unwavering. “There were humans and innocent werewolves in that house. Children. We don’t kill those who haven’t spilled human blood. It’s against the code.”

‘We hunt those who hunt others.’ It was a bit simplistic, but worked for a family motto being passed down through generations. From what she was learning over the course of this pseudo-interrogation, Chris seemed to truly believe in the code. Still, Nina was hard pressed to believe that someone with super strength, speed, and smell wouldn’t be able to tell that a house was on fire and get everyone out in time. Paired with the identities of the victims, save for the janitor who was still unaccounted for, it didn’t make sense. “So it’s killing people who it thinks were involved,” Nina amended, not voicing her thoughts. Chris saved her, and she was grateful, but she didn’t trust him. Not enough to accuse him or his family of murdering innocents in an isolated building full of hunters. The best course of action was to change the subject. “If they’re human most of the time, how can I tell?”

~~~

Nina sat across from Allison at the lunch table, eyeing Jackson as he walked away with a smug look on his face. “What was that about?” She asked, opening her lunch box. Allison still looked a bit down and unsure; they were probably talking about Scott.

“I was just asking him if I did the right thing with Scott,” Allison admitted, hair falling in front of her face as she looked down. “I asked Jackson and Lydia, and they said I did the right thing, but they’re… them, y’know? What do you think? I mean, you were friends with him before we started dating.”

Friends was a stretch. They worked together, and Nina respected that he worked hard enough to make up for being a total klutz and unable to clean the litter boxes as an asthma risk. And now… it was possible that he was a werewolf. 

After Chris told her how to spot one, it was obvious. Sudden displays of strength or athleticism; Scott’s new performance on the field, check. Uncontrollable strength; dislocating Jackson’s shoulder, check. Sensitive hearing and smell, his intense reactions to the whistle and the time he actually drooled when the cafeteria was serving ‘mystery meat,’ check and check. Easy to anger, check. Even easier to anger during a full moon, check. 

She said nothing about her suspicions to Chris. It wasn’t even confirmed. If she knew without a doubt that Scott was a werewolf, maybe she would tell Chris. The fact of the matter was that the ‘code’ only applied to killing those who have killed others. It said nothing about stalking, threatening, or harming those who might kill others. And Nina was confident that Scott hadn’t killed anyone. She was also confident that he had nothing to do with everyone getting trapped in the school. Werewolf or not, he was still a terrible liar, and he was more surprised to see everyone else there than he was about the attack. 

“What happened on Wednesday night wasn’t Scott’s fault,” Nina said, choosing her words carefully. Allison nodded in agreement. “But, leaving us in the chemistry room just showed us a pattern.”

Allison’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Allison and Scott being together only put the both of them in danger. Allison, from a world that she was still blind to. Scott, from the Argents. Did he know about them? “He invited you to Lydia’s party, which he knew you weren’t very interested in, and then ditched you to fend for yourself,” Nina began. It was likely Scott’s first full moon, and while it couldn’t be helped that he was too out of it, it showed a serious lack of care for Allison or anyone at the party. Assuming he even knew what he was at the time. “Which then left you to get into Derek Hale’s car. Not Scott’s fault, you got into the vehicle of an adult man who was sniffing around a high school party, who also later turned out to be wanted for murder, but Scott still put you in that position.” Even if Derek Hale wasn’t the murderer, Nina wasn’t going to let Allison off the hook for getting in a car with him.

“Right.” Allison frowned, setting her spoon on her tray. 

“He then never told you why he ditched you. He’s kept a lot of secrets from you.” Possibly being a werewolf being the biggest one. “Obviously, he deserves his privacy. But you deserve to be with someone who you can trust.” Allison nodded, still looking guilty. “The first time, you ended up in the car with a potential murderer. The second time, we all ended up trapped in the school and hunted for sport. It's up to you if you want to risk a next time.”

The statement made Allison lift her head to meet Nina’s eyes, concern and the barest hint of fear in her gaze. Good. The less likely Allison was to take Scott back, the safer everyone would be. 

~~~

At the end of the school day, the halls were mainly empty save for those staying for lacrosse practice. Nina was putting her books away and getting her coat when she heard footsteps approaching. She closed her locker door to see Scott staring her down. “Why would you tell Allison not to forgive me?”

Cornered by a possible werewolf in an empty hallway. How convenient. Nina sighed, shouldering her backpack. “I didn’t tell her not to forgive you. I reminded her of your previous disappointments and encouraged her to come to her own conclusion. Try showing her that you can be trusted.” 

She began to walk away, but an iron-like grip latched onto her shoulder, pulling her back to face Scott’s glare. She couldn’t help but not take it seriously. It felt like his face wasn’t built to be threatening. “I can’t show her anything if she doesn’t give me a second chance!”

Nina’s own annoyance spiked. “This isn’t your second chance, Scott!” She glared right back at him, unable to follow the voice in the back of her mind shouting danger, leave immediately! Her temples pulsed, the onset of a migraine simmering to the surface. “Your second chance was after leaving her at Lydia’s party. Your third chance was after lying to her all night last week. Your fourth chance was after leaving us in the chemistry room when she begged you not to, and then locking us in there! I didn’t tell Allison not to forgive you. I told her that she would be safer without you in her life.”

Scott blinked, his mouth opening and then closing, a spark of hurt flashing in his eyes. “I thought we were friends.”

“We’re not.” Nina schooled her expression, her tone just as icy as her glare. She ignored the way her stomach dropped at the look on his face. “We’re coworkers. And if just being your coworker lands me trapped at school with a serial killer, why would Allison ever want to be your girlfriend?”

This time, when Nina walked away, Scott let her. At the end of the hallway, Will stood, watching them. “Still trying to protect me?” She snapped, continuing past him.

Will fell in line with Nina, glancing back before leaning in closer to her ear. “I finally got the janitor’s record. He was a serial arsonist. Five separate arrests since he was a teenager in San Bernardino, one being when he started a fire in the urinal during class.”

“Why would the school ever hire him?” Nina asked, looking up at her brother. Her annoyance dissolved now that there was a new revelation in the case. 

He grinned. “That’s what took me so long to figure it out. All arrests and convictions were expunged by the San Bernardino police department in 2005. Want to take a guess when?”

Nina’s eyes widened. “After the Hale fire.” 

“A month after that, he started working here. Can you believe it? The police were involved as well.” The boy was almost gleeful, appearing as though he was about to jump and snap his heels together. 

Her first thought went to the Argents. Their day job was arms dealing — mainly to the police. If the police weren’t directly involved in the fire, it wasn’t out of line for them to expunge a man’s arson record in exchange for weapons, no questions asked. 

~~~

Nina and Will sat together on the bleachers, Will recording the changes in the lacrosse lineup. Scott was the new co-captain, and Rodriguez, Taylor, and Stiles — Biles, according to Finstock — were promoted to first line after Greenberg spread a case of pink eye. “We’re doomed,” Nina muttered, watching Stiles trip over a lacrosse stick and fall to the ground. He picked himself back up, looking around and waving to no one.

Will nodded. “Hopefully Jackson can pull his head out of his arse long enough to make up for it.” 

A minute before practice started, Lydia sat down next to Nina. “Hey,” She greeted, her voice an octave higher than usual. Nina saw Scott coming from the same direction a moment later and turned to Lydia, immediately noticing her lipstick smudged. There was also a cheap chemical-y scent of pine. “Is there a reason I can smell Scott’s terrible cologne?” Nina adopted a smile as she looked at her friend accusingly.

“I ran into him inside. He asked me about Allison, and I told him that she didn’t want to talk.” She looked out over the field, running her fingers through her hair.

Nina rolled her eyes, a pit growing in her stomach. “I can’t believe you sometimes.”

“We have a deal, Nini,” Lydia sang. “I promised I would stop setting you up with Jackson’s friends if you stayed out of my own endeavors.”

Endeavor was certainly a word for it. “What you do to make Jackson jealous is your own business, but why would you bring Allison into it?”

Lydia scoffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Please. This has nothing to do with Allison or Scott. Jackson lost his status as sole captain, now he’ll know he can lose his privileges as sole booty call. It’s just politics.”

“And this has nothing to do with how Jackson has been treating her a lot nicer than he treats you?” Nina tilted her head to the side, watching Lydia. The shift in how he talked to Allison was obvious, and she knew Lydia saw it too.

Lydia hummed, peering over the players. “I think Logan is free this Saturday. I’ll go ask him for you.” She stood, grabbing her bag and beginning to step down the bleachers.

“In the meantime, I’ll tell Allison about your election campaign.”

She stopped and faced Nina with a smug smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll do it myself. And when Allison totally understands, maybe you’ll finally realize you’re not better than everyone else.”

Lydia strutted away without another word, leaving Will and Nina sitting alone.

“That was the stupidest fight I’ve ever seen,” Will muttered. Nina rolled her eyes and watched the field, pointedly ignoring Logan Davis every time he tried to get her attention.

~~~

Nina stood in the examination room, arms folded over her chest as she watched Deaton come in from the back with a few pieces of medical equipment. “Nina, hello.” He set the equipment down and gave her a pleasant smile. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon. How are you feeling?”

He gave her and Scott a week and a half of paid time off, the plan being for them to start back up the next Monday. With everything the Argents told her, Nina was debating on whether or not she would talk to her boss about it. It seemed best to get a second opinion. “It attacked me at the library on Thursday night,” Nina revealed, watching Deaton’s mannerisms. He began setting the equipment out, along with the sterilization materials. That was her first clue that Deaton knew more about what was going on than he appeared. He always gave someone his full attention when talking to them — save for when there was a patient needing immediate attention, or if he was hiding something. “Chris Argent interrupted before it could hurt me. He explained everything about the Hales, and about the serial killer. He also told me about you. You’re a druid?”

“I’m retired,” Deaton said, sparing her a look as he continued sterilizing the equipment. “That’s not a part of my life anymore.”

“You can’t decide that.” Nina stood at the opposite end of the table, laying her palms flat against the cool metal. “It’s a part of my life now, and the Argents don’t know if it will come after me again or not. Their best way of keeping my family safe is posting someone outside my apartment building all night. I need something that I can do myself to make sure we’re actually safe. I don’t trust them.”

Deaton paused and met Nina’s eye. “Do you trust me?”

“More than them.” 

After a beat, he nodded. “That will have to be good enough. Follow me.” 

He led her to the back supply room. It was filled with every spare supply they had in stock: pet food, collapsible kennels, and blankets. File cabinets lined the opposite wall, each one locked. He pulled a key out of his pocket, opening the cabinet in the very middle and procuring three vials. “Dried plants,” Nina said, her brow quirked.

“Can you identify them?”

Nina huffed and took the vials, holding them up to the light. The bottles were unlabeled, but each one held a distinct plant. In the first one, the berries looked more like white raisins, and the leaves were curled into little spirals from the drying process, but the shape of the leaves was still the recognizable oblong teardrop. Mistletoe. In the second, the petals were a darker and duller purple, but the veins were still prominent. Wolf’s Bane. It was one of the things she saw consistently in her research over the weekend. In the third, small, white petals surrounded prominent stamens of a similar color. The leaves were longer than they were wide, with spiked edges. “I don’t know this one. Is it native to California?” Nina looked to Deaton, who watched her.

“It’s Mountain Ash. A tree found in the mountainous regions.” Deaton pulled a mortar and pestle from a different cabinet before the two returned to the examination room. 

He set them down, and Nina followed suit with the bottles. “I never would have guessed,” Nina replied dryly. 

Deaton chuckled. “All three serve a different purpose, but are equally able to give you what you need.” He gave her a quick run-down on each plant’s properties. Mistletoe warded anything and everything supernatural, while Wolf’s Bane specifically affected werewolves. “Mountain Ash is different. If its ashes form an uninterrupted barrier, it will prevent anything supernatural from leaving or entering that barrier. The clinic is built with its wood and lined with its ashes.”

Scott immediately came to mind. Deaton must have known, right? “But it’s interrupted.” She wasn’t asking.

“Correct.” He didn’t acknowledge any hidden meaning in her words. “We don’t deny service. The clinic was built to let any supernatural being inside, and ward against causing harm. That way, we can safely treat them if they need it.”

Her brow rose. “Do we have something like that for humans that may cause harm?”

Deaton smiled. “Unfortunately, no.” He gestured to the three bottles. “You can use any of them, and it will keep you safe tonight. Or a mixture, if you need the extra assurance.”

All three sat in a line. The Wolf’s Bane and Mistletoe seemed to be more concrete, since they were toxic to both animals and humans. The Mountain Ash made her nervous. How could a plant protect against ill will? Nina picked up the Wolf’s Bane and Mistletoe bottles, setting them off to the side before opening the mountain ash and emptying its contents in the mortar. A quick glance at Deaton revealed silent approval ghosting his face. “I have dogs on my floor,” She muttered. 

Once it was grinded into a powder, Deaton gave her some tree gum and water to make a paste with the instructions to paint it over the door frame. Nina held the bottle in her hands, examining it. It was exactly what she had asked for. Something she did herself. And every question she asked was met with nothing but patience and understanding. Not like the Argents, who got increasingly frustrated. Still, it wasn’t exactly scientifically tested. “How do you know it will work for me?” She asked, looking up at her boss. 

While she had been working, he continued sterilizing the medical equipment. He stopped when she spoke and met her eye. “Because I’ve seen your work,” He stated plainly, as though the answer was obvious. “If you put the same confidence and care into this as you do with our patients, I have no doubt in my mind that it will work exactly as intended.”

It didn’t take long for Nina to retrieve her things and start out of the room, but she paused in the doorway. “Why do they use alpha, beta, and omega labels?” She asked.

He chuckled. “You know, I always thought when you found out, that would be what you got hung up on.”

That night, no one came knocking at the Holmes apartment; human or otherwise. Nina stressed over it all night, which usually led to a dull migraine, but didn’t notice any pain when she finally went to sleep.

Chapter Text

Ever since her ‘fight’ with Lydia, Nina spent her lunches with Will and Isaac. Normally that wouldn’t have affected either of them; they’d had petty arguments in the past and moved on from them just fine. But with Logan trying to corner Nina at every opportunity now that Lydia placed her in his path, she wasn’t going to give him the chance. It was easier. It also had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Lydia hadn’t even looked at Nina since then.

Her eyes drifted over to their table, where the two girls were laughing together, like no one else in the room existed. She couldn’t help but wonder if Allison knew about Lydia and Scott. It didn’t seem likely based on how friendly they were still acting, but maybe Lydia was right about Allison ‘totally understanding’ her motivation. Lydia was always better than her at the whole people thing. 

On her way to the lunch table, Nina almost passed by Jackson muttering to himself in the corner. Almost. She halted, debating on if it was even worth it. But he’d been weirder than usual, and Nina’s curiosity got the best of her. “What the hell are you doing?” She asked.

Jackson was strangely jovial. “Oh, nothing. I’m just talking to Scott.” 

He nodded over in the direction of where Scott and Stiles sat together, huddled and whispering about something. Nina looked back at Jackson. “I know communication isn’t your strong suit, but it’s usually better if the other person can hear you.”

With a snort, Jackson shook his head and kept his gaze on Scott. “Oh, he can hear me.”

Did he know? Or did he just suspect? Nina had no way of knowing what was going on in Jackson’s mind without talking to him, and that was one of the last things she wanted to be doing. Nina only shook her head and began to walk away, but his voice calling her back stopped her. She faced him again, wanting this conversation done as quickly as possible. “You know, Holmes, you always act like you know more than everyone else. For once, I know more than you.” He still held that friendly, smug look, like he was giving her a great piece of advice.

Oh, he definitely suspected something about Scott. But, thankfully, Nina wasn’t included in that suspicion. She only smiled, deciding not to point out the accidental self-insult. “That’s a big achievement. Are you going to write about it in your diary later?”

The grin immediately fell into a sneer. Before he could say anything in retaliation, Nina walked away. She sat down in the seat next to Isaac, across from Will, who was still watching Jackson. “What the hell is he doing?” He asked.

“I think the co-captain switch caused a mental breakdown.” Nina brushed it off.

Isaac nodded. “Yeah, at practice he’s been a lot weirder than usual. Even Coach seems worried about him.” Coach Finstock, who had Jackson play while recovering from a dislocated shoulder, was now worried about his mental well-being. Maybe he was worse off than Nina thought.

All of a sudden, a loud crack echoed throughout the cafeteria. Everyone’s eyes went to the middle of the room, where Scott sat hunched over. Nina looked over at Jackson, who smirked at Scott as he bit into an apple.

~~~

The Argent Arms office space was a rental in a dingy strip mall. Three other businesses occupied the small area beforehand, all inevitably leaving once they learned that Beacon Hills wasn’t profitable enough. The last one, a florist, was actually doing pretty well until they suddenly closed up shop and left just in time for Argent Arms to snatch the place up. They did a good job with the place; it looked clean and official, something one wouldn’t expect from the exterior of the building. 

This time, when Nina found herself in Chris’s office, he had a much friendlier façade. Kate was her usual blasé self, but it was obvious that Chris was trying to ease Nina into something. It might have been convincing if two additional hunters weren’t accompanying them in the office, barricading the doors. 

“Nina, thanks for coming in. Can I get you anything? A water?” She denied the offer. She’d been in enough interrogations to know not to accept anything that could leave DNA. Chris only smiled and nodded. “Alright. We just have a couple of questions for you, if you’re not busy anytime soon.” It was after school on a Thursday, three days after the full moon. Nina had to catch up on some homework, but other than that, she was free.

She could hear them out. If anything, being a willing participant meant they would be more inclined to share information with her. “Fine, but NSYNC has to leave.” Compliant didn’t have to mean easy. “I’m allergic to frosted tips. It’s non-negotiable.” She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the man she was referring to; quaffed hair just-too long, two piercings in just one ear, and a patchy five o’clock shadow.

He started to protest, but Kate snorted. “Trent, get out of here.” Once he left, Kate grinned and faced Nina. She leaned back against the desk and planted her palms against the flat surface behind her. “Now. We think the second beta is one of your classmates. Any idea who?”

If Nina appreciated one thing about Kate, it was the fact that she didn’t beat around the bush. That was probably the only thing she appreciated. “At the high school or the university?” She asked, furrowing her brow. It gave her a second to plan her course of action. After watching Scott from afar, her suspicions still weren’t exactly confirmed. More hushed whispering, more forlorn stares at Allison, more displays of aggression on the field — none so bad as dislocating shoulders or almost giving a concussion, but still bad. Nothing was a direct confirmation that Scott was or was not a werewolf. Maybe Nina was better off wondering. Still, she would never share that wondering with the Argents. 

“The high school.” Even that simple non-answer set a crack in Kate’s armor. “We told you what a newly bitten werewolf would look like. Anyone fit the description?”

Nina bit the inside of her cheek as she pretended to think it over. “Not that I know of. I’ve only been here for a year, and I’m only at the high school for part of the day. I don’t care about meeting a lot of people.” That was probably a safe enough answer. People tended to assume someone was lying if their answer was too short or too long, but everyone’s definition of that varied. 

Kate nodded and lifted her hand, examining her nails. “I think Nina and I should have a little ‘girl talk’ by ourselves, if you boys don’t mind.” Chris stared at his sister for a moment, eyes narrowed. Finally, he got up and left with the other hunter, and the two young women were left alone. Kate lifted herself up and sat on Chris’s desk, throwing one leg over the other. “Allison mentioned the bets you make on the lacrosse team,” She began. A wide grin adorned her face, no accusation in her tone just yet. “I think monitoring the players that closely might clue you in on any sudden changes in performance. Don’t you?”

“Of course,” Nina snorted. It did clue her in, after all. But Kate didn’t need to know that. “And I haven’t seen anything. There are other sports teams at the school. But wouldn’t someone with new special Superman powers which they can’t control know better than to join one?” If Scott did turn out to be a werewolf after all of this, she might just kill him herself for being such an idiot. 

Kate chuckled. “Maybe you’re right. I mean, I only have twenty-eight years of experience.”

“Twenty-eight years,” Nina repeated, tilting her head as she looked innocently back up at Kate. “And you’re expecting someone with less than a week to do your job for you?”

If it insulted her, Kate didn’t show it. Instead she smirked, pushing herself off of the desk and leaning over Nina in the chair. “We’re getting desperate. And if I find out that you were withholding information while innocent humans are dying, well,” She stood to full height and made a dramatic grimace. “We know how to hunt more than just werewolves.”

Nina smiled. “It’s a good thing I don’t know anything, then.”

The Argents didn’t keep her much longer. Nina got back to the apartment complex, annoyed that they were becoming a bigger problem than she needed. Chris initially promised to keep Nina out of it, but apparently he wasn’t hard pressed to keep that promise. Now Kate was suspicious of her. It was her own fault for getting defensive — teenagers often got defensive when questioned, maybe that could be a saving grace. Chris obviously still saw her as an extension of Allison, and he cut her a lot more slack as a result. Maybe if he trusted her, Kate would be more inclined to do so as well. Her mind went to Will. If he told her to trust someone she was suspicious of, would she do it?

She was doomed.

~~~

The next day at school was completely uneventful. Nina had to meet a professor during their office hours to discuss a paper, so she and Will missed lunch at the school, and high school classes were spent by teachers trying to corral students from getting too excited by the winter formal coming up in just a week. With the way everyone was acting, Nina could have believed something actually important was happening. Like someone famous coming to town, or a touring seminar on native flora. When she said that to Danny, he stared at her for five seconds before excusing himself to ‘talk to anyone else.’ 

She tried to stay home with Lydia during the game, but her friend demanded she go and tell her if Jackson’s performance was affected by the breakup at all. The breakup seemed to be a result of Jackson’s current manic episode instead of the catalyst, though Nina didn’t think she had the heart to tell Lydia that any decrease in performance would be fairly unrelated. 

The stands were filled with people, as this was the game that decided which school would move on to the semi-finals. Allison found Nina and Will and invited them to sit with her, which led to Nina also sitting with Chris and Kate Argent. After the interrogation the day prior, Nina knew they were there to seek out a werewolf. Once the players left the locker room, Nina clocked Scott, and excused herself. 

It was easy to be alone with him. As he stood off to the side, Scott spoke into his phone in a hushed tone. His eyes widened when he saw Nina approach and hung up the phone, watching her warily. “Uh, hey, Nina. Are you going to be mean to me again?”

She deadpanned. “Are you going to corner me in an empty hallway again?”

At least he had the decency to remember that he was the one who started that interaction. “Listen, I’m sorry about that, I wasn’t in—”

“I don’t care.” Shoving her hands into her pockets, Nina squared her shoulders and gave him a serious look. “I have a lot riding on this game. Don’t show off.”

His brow wrinkled as the usual confused expression overtook his features. “What do you mean?”

A quick glance around them showed no human was within hearing distance. “Chris and Kate are here tonight. After that night at the school, when Allison dumped you and told them you know Derek Hale, they’re going to be keeping an eye on you.” It took everything in her not to announce ‘don’t show them you’re a werewolf you stupid dumb idiot.’ Scott’s confusion only intensified at her words, and Nina let out an annoyed huff. “I made some bets that you won’t show off for once. Play a normal game. Don’t attract attention.”

“Uh… okay?”

God, he was irritating at times. She rolled her eyes. “Where’s Bilinski?” He was playing first line, and nowhere to be found. Normally at games he was already seated, hoping that someone else might be missing so he could actually play. 

His eyes widened as his jaw dropped. “He’ll be here! I promise! I was just talking to him, actually—”

“Good.” Nina turned on her heel, rolling her eyes as she stormed back to the stands. 

On her way back, Logan Davis stood in her path. He gave her what he must have thought was a charming grin. “Hey, Nina—”

“No.” She brushed past him, finally getting back to the stands. 

She climbed up three steps to sit between Will and Allison, the three on the bleacher seat directly under Chris and Kate. Once she sat down, Allison stared at her inquisitively. “What were you talking to Scott about?”

“I asked where Stiles was,” Nina answered. She pulled her coat around her as the cold night air sunk in. It was starting to feel like winter, even in California. “He said he should be on his way.”

Beside her, Will snorted. “I hope not. If he doesn’t play, we might have a shot at winning.”

The whistle blew, and all of the boys gathered onto the field. Allison turned and prodded Kate to get her attention. “That one, that’s Jackson.” She pointed to him as he made some comment to another player. Nina’s nose wrinkled in distaste; what could Allison have possibly told Kate about Jackson of all people?

“Holy hotness.” The distaste turned to disgust as she looked at Will, who gave her the same knowing look. “Oh, if I was in high school again… or maybe just a substitute teacher.”

Nina audibly gagged. “That joke’s hilarious, Kate. You should go and tell the sheriff, I’m sure he’ll love it.”

Kate chuckled and nudged her with her knee, a little too harsh to be friendly. “Men love a sense of humor. You should lighten up.” Before Nina could retort, Kate turned to Allison. “You should be all over that,” She sang. Jackson turned back to face the coach, and the marks on his neck were on full display. Now that she knew about werewolves, the possibility of them being claw marks sprung to her mind. Did Jackson know about werewolves after all? She heard Kate’s whisper right above her. “Chris, remember how we were talking about a second beta — a younger one? Can you get turned by a scratch?”

“If the claws go deep enough, maybe.” Chris’s response came after a moment’s thought. 

Kate hummed. “Wonder how deep those went.”

Was Jackson a werewolf? He’d always been athletic, so any improvement might have slipped past her — no, Chris was clear that it would be noticeable to anyone, no matter how strong they were before. Along with that, those marks had been there for over two weeks. They should have been able to heal if he had successfully turned. 

Regardless, if they suspected Jackson, he was in danger. If Jackson was in danger, he would steer the Argents in the direction of Scott for his own safety. With Nina’s connections to the both of them, Kate’s suspicions of her would only be confirmed. 

The game passed by with those thoughts coursing through her mind. Jackson made it his personal mission to prove just how athletically superior he was to everyone on the field. With Stiles missing, Danny was moved from goalie to attacker, and Scott passed the ball to him every time he had it; he also stayed behind the midfield line so Danny could make the goal. Whether that was an apology for almost giving him a concussion, or Scott taking Nina’s advice not to show off, she didn’t know. Or care. All that mattered to her was someone was smart enough not to catch the attention of the hunters.

Once the game was won by Beacon Hills High, all of the supporters stormed the field. The sheriff stayed back to look for his son, who never made it. Allison excused herself to go give her congratulations, and Will went to go talk to Isaac. Left with the Argent siblings, Nina turned to face them. They both stared at her expectantly. “I overheard you talking about Jackson,” She began. “He’s had that injury at least since last Wednesday. If he were turned, I think it would have healed by now.”

Kate’s eyes narrowed, but Chris only smiled. “Thank you, Nina. You should go be with your friends.”

Giving a single nod, Nina turned and walked down the bleachers. She started in the direction of Isaac and Will, but was once again interrupted by Logan Davis. Nina sighed, but didn’t push past him again. That was her first mistake. “No, Lucas, I’m not interested. Lydia lied to you, I’m sorry.”

He was grinning, too excited by the win to notice that she called him by the wrong name. “Don’t worry about it. Look, I understand. Lydia told me that you’re shy.” Her features fell deadpan as she heard Will loudly snort from just a few meters away. “I mean, I always thought you were a stuck-up prude, but I'm flattered that you have a crush on me.”

“Wow.” Nina breathed out a laugh. “I didn’t know you knew those words.”

“Yeah. So, y’know, you can go to the formal with me.”

He was an idiot. “I don’t want to go to the formal with you,” Nina replied. “I don’t want to do anything with you. I don’t like you.”

It seemed even the direct approach didn’t work, as he just laughed. “And don’t worry about being loyal — just because Jackson dumped Lydia, and I’m friends with Jackson, and you’re friends with Lydia, doesn’t mean we can’t go together.”

She had done the basics: Ignoring and directly saying no. Before Nina could go for her trusted and true — insults — she was beaten to the punch. “Sorry, Davis, she’s already going with Isaac.” 

As he turned to face Will, Nina let out a long, arduous sigh. “Yes, I’m going to the formal with Isaac. So I can’t go with you.” 

The cogs in Davis’s mind turned as he looked at Isaac. “Really?” 

Isaac’s face turned pink as he swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, yes. I asked Nina to go to the formal with me, and she said yes.”

“Stunning play-by-play,” Will muttered, earning glares from both Isaac and Nina. 

Davis didn’t seem to notice the comment as he shrugged. “Cool. Good game, Lahey.” He gave the boy a high five as he passed, then jogged back to the locker rooms. 

With a smirk, Will held out two thumbs up and winked. “I’m going to go handle the money. See you at the car.”

Nina rolled her eyes as her brother strolled away. “Thank you for playing along.” She smiled at Isaac and shoved her hands into her coat pockets, starting to walk towards the parking lot. “You don’t actually have to subject yourself to going to the formal with me.”

His eyes widened as he followed. “Of course I want to go with you!” Nina looked back at him, her brow raised. If there was one thing Nina hated more than anything, it was a crowded room full of teenagers. The twins’ mother was forcing them to go so they had a ‘normal teenager experience,’ but Nina knew she was going to be miserable. There was no way Isaac wanted to deal with that. “I mean, we’re friends. We can go as friends.”

“If you’re sure you want to.” She shrugged. “At the very least, now we can make fun of Will for not having a date.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Isaac laughed. He eventually broke off to go change, and Nina left for the car. 

Once they got home, Nina’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out as she closed the door to her room and found a message from Allison. ‘Hey, I had fun at the game tonight :) Haven’t seen you much this week, everything okay?’ 

Nina shed her coat and hung it up before replying. ‘Lydia was mad at me after what happened with Scott. I figured you sided with her. We’re fine now.’

A minute passed before the next reply. ‘What happened with Scott?’ -Allison

Nina’s brow furrowed. Did Lydia not tell Allison? Instead of texting back, Nina called, and Allison picked up immediately. “Did Lydia tell you why Jackson broke up with her?” 

“She said it was mutual. Why, what happened?”

She couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her. Apparently, Lydia wasn’t so confident that Allison would understand after all. “She told me she would tell you herself. On Monday, before practice started, Lydia kissed Scott in the coach’s office.” 

The sound of a soft thud, like Allison sitting on her bed, came over the line. “What? Why would she do that? Did I do something? Does she like Scott?”

“No, nothing like that.” Nina felt bad that this was a conversation over the phone. “Lydia has no interest in Scott at all, and you did nothing wrong. It was right after the switch to co-captain was announced, she did it as some sort of power-play to show Jackson that he needed to step up his game, or whatever. It really did have nothing to do with you or Scott.”

“That is so fucked up.” Nina hummed in agreement. If Lydia decided to actually go into politics, she would be very talented at it. “Wait, so why was she mad at you?”

“I usually stay out of her relationship with Jackson, but I told her it was wrong for her to do that to you. I said I would tell you, then she told me that she would tell you herself, then she told Logan Davis that I had a raging crush on him as payback for ‘meddling.’”

Allison took a moment to register the information. “So, after she kissed my boy— ex boyfriend, she told you that she would tell me she did it, and you believed her. And when she and I acted like nothing happened, you thought it was because I was just cool with her kissing my ex-boyfriend? And I somehow wasn’t cool with you trying to defend me?”

Well, when she said it like that , it sounded silly. “Yes.” Allison scoffed as Nina tried to put her thoughts together in a way that would make sense to her friend. “Lydia is better at… people. She seemed confident that you would understand, and you’re closer with her, so I chalked it up to just not understanding the social dilemma.”

“You of all people admitted to not understanding something?”

Nina let out a dry laugh. “It’s been known to happen, occasionally.” Allison didn’t respond, so she continued. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

“It’s not your fault,” Allison sighed. “And as much as I hate to say it, you’re right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pissed at her, but that kind of reasoning would only ever make sense for Lydia. I mostly feel bad for Jackson.” Nina almost groaned and was about to tell Allison not to feel bad for him, but she continued. “But you are wrong about one thing. I’m not closer with Lydia. I think you and I are just as close, don’t you? Just in a different way?”

Her voice tapered off slightly at the end, as though she was unsure of how Nina would respond. She hadn’t thought about it like that. Even for Nina, she considered the connections she’d made with Allison different from her relationship with Lydia, but she hadn’t placed one higher or below the other. She just didn’t know Allison felt the same way. “Yeah, I think so. Thanks.”

~~~

When Allison sent an invitation to go shopping in the groupchat with Nina and Lydia, Nina figured it was an excuse to confront Lydia about the kiss. What Nina didn’t understand was why Allison seemed to also be mad at her.

“When you said you needed to stop for an errand before we went shopping, a five-mile hike in the woods was not what I was expecting,” Lydia panted, grabbing Nina’s hand as she almost tripped over a stick. Allison stomped through the fallen leaves of the woods while Nina and Lydia tried to keep up, the latter in heels. 

“Before I forget,” Allison started, her voice deceptively light as she ignored Lydia’s statement. “I wanted to ask if you’re okay with something. Jackson asked me to the winter formal.” 

There was a slight hitch in her step as Lydia’s eyes widened. “Did he?” 

“And you said yes?” Really, Lydia being charmed by him was one thing, but Allison? Nina had faith in her up until now. Even if it was just a way to get back at Lydia, why would she put herself through such a thing. 

“Yeah. Just as friends,” She clarified. “But I just wanted to make sure you’re okay with it first, Lyds.”

Lyds. Allison and Lydia didn’t do nicknames. Lydia sent Nina a surprised look, clocking the same tell. “Sure. As long as it’s just as friends.”

Allison let out a laugh. “Well, yeah, I mean… it’s not like I would take him to the coach’s office during lacrosse practice to make out with him or anything.”

Slowing to a halt, Lydia gaped hopelessly at Nina as Allison kept walking. “Uh… about that… I wasn’t really thinking, it didn’t mean anything! I was just trying to—”

“I know. Nina told me. It’s just politics, right?” Finding a small clearing off of the path, Allison set her bag on the ground and knelt down to unzip it. She pulled out her bow and an arrow, along with something in the vague shape of an arrowhead.

Lydia let out a forced laugh. “Right.” She folded her arms over her chest as she watched Allison screw on the foreign arrowhead. “What does that do?”

“I don’t know,” She replied. Allison then turned to Nina, tilting her head. “Do you? Since you know everything I don’t?”

The targeted question at least cleared up that her anger towards Nina wasn’t about Lydia and Scott. “What the fuck did I do?” Nina asked, not in the mood to guess. 

Rather than answer, Allison turned back and stood. She nocked the arrow and pulled back the bowstring, pointing at a tree before she released. It sailed through the air and landed in the middle of the tree, the arrowhead exploding in a bright light and loud bang. Nina jumped, the sudden noise shooting through her skull. 

“What the hell was that?” Lydia asked.

Allison stared at the tree, which still had small sparks falling out from where the arrow hit. “… I don’t know.” 

“Well,” Lydia breathed, clapping her hands together. “That was fun! Any more lethal weapons you wanna try out?”

“Or forests you want to burn down?” Nina shot Allison an unimpressed glare as she walked towards the tree. At the base, a group of leaves were smoldering, a small cluster of smoke rising from them. Nina stomped it out before a fire could start and grabbed the arrow, attempting to pull it from the trunk. It didn’t budge. She tried again, still getting nothing. It wasn’t until Allison tugged on the arrow that it came free, the arrowhead now semi-flattened from the impact. She turned it over in her hands, inspecting the small object. 

In the distance, they heard footsteps in the leaves. Not an animal. Slowly, as though whoever it was was trying to sneak through. Allison, Nina, and Lydia all glanced at each other before Allison placed the bow in Nina’s hands. “Hold this,” She ordered quietly.

“What? Why?” 

“Because I thought I heard something.”

“We all heard it, so what?”

Allison rolled her eyes. “So, I want to find out what that something is.”

“Alone?” Nina asked. 

“As opposed to what, running away like little girls?” 

“As opposed to getting ourselves out of possible danger, like the smart thing to do,” Nina hissed back. Who was Allison trying to prove herself to?

As she let out an annoyed sigh, Allison took off her glove and also placed that in Nina’s hand. “I’ll be right back.”

A small, frightened squeak escaped Lydia. “What if there is something out there?”

Allison, who had already started towards the noise, halted in her tracks. “Shoot it,” She snapped before continuing on her way. 

Rude. Being angry was warranted, but leaving Nina and Lydia in the middle of the woods with a weapon neither of them knew how to use wasn’t. Something was obviously bothering her other than the kiss, and instead of confronting Nina about it, she decided to throw a hissy fit. The two girls looked at each other once Allison was out of eyesight, and Lydia frowned. “I was going to tell her,” She said quietly.

Nina offered a small smile. “I know. I thought you did, that’s the only reason I mentioned it.”

Lydia’s brow furrowed and her lips pursed. “You thought Allison was still hanging out with me after I made out with her ex-boyfriend?”

The similar look of disbelief made Nina’s features fall deadpan. “Yes! Honestly, is it really that hard to believe? You were so confident that she would totally understand, I thought you were right.”

Her judgement gave way to guilt as Lydia looked down at her heels. “I’m sorry. For telling you it was none of your business, and for siccing Logan Davis on you. Has he asked you to the formal yet?”

“He tried,” Nina snorted. “Will invited Isaac to go with me on my behalf.”

Lydia’s nose wrinkled slightly. “Who?”

“Isaac Lahey?” No sign of recognition. “Will’s friend.”

“Will has friends?”

Nina rolled her eyes. That was funny, but she found it hard to believe that Lydia genuinely didn’t know who she was talking about. “Will has a friend. On the first day of freshman year, he asked you out and you said no because he didn’t have a car. He’s on the lacrosse team, he’s a defender.”

“Huh.” There was no other indicator of how Lydia felt about the boy, if she even remembered him. “Does he have a car now?”

With a snort, Nina shoved Lydia’s shoulder lightly. The girl screeched as she lost her footing, and grabbed Nina’s arm, dragging her down with her. The both of them fell into the leaves just as Allison ran back to their spot in the clearing, Scott in tow. Both were wide-eyed and posed as though they were ready to defend them from a threat. “What happened?” 

Nina laughed as Lydia sat up, immediately going to pull leaves from her hair. “We tripped,” She answered simply. Allison and Scott both let out a sigh of relief. “Scott. Were you following us?”

The relief immediately faded. “Huh? What, no! I wasn’t—”

“He was just jogging,” Allison answered. 

Bloody fucking likely. Those footsteps were way too far apart. “How slowly do you jog?”

“He was walking,” Allison corrected quickly. Before Nina could press further, she gave Scott a tense smile. “We were actually about to go shopping. I’ll see you later?”

“Uh, yeah,” Scott smiled. “See ya. Bye, Nina. Lydia.” If the way Scott addressed Nina was awkward, the way he addressed Lydia was almost embarrassingly so. As he walked away, he turned to look back at Allison three separate times. 

It seemed that seeing Scott lifted Allison’s spirits exponentially, as the rest of their day was much less tense. By the time Nina got home just as curfew, she could say all three of them had a good time.

She greeted Will and Isaac, who were in the living room, as she kicked off her shoes in the entryway. Their greeting in return was cut off by her phone ringing. Deaton’s caller ID popped up on the screen. Answering the call, Nina put her phone up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Nina, hi.” Her boss sounded out of breath. “I hate to call you so late, but I have an emergency patient I need you to assist with. It’s related to what we talked about the other day.”

Her stomach dropped. “Nini? What’s wrong?” Will and Isaac were both staring at her in concern, one better hidden than the other.

Lie. “I left something at Lydia’s. I’ll be back.” Awful lie. Terrible. 

“It’s almost curfew!”

Isaac’s protest didn’t register with Nina as she pulled her shoes back on and practically ran out of the door. “Don’t wait up!”

No one was out on Nina’s way to the clinic. She took the back roads to avoid any officers out on patrol, her gut telling her that if she was pulled over, she wouldn’t be able to help Deaton with whatever was going on. 

The office lights were still on when Nina arrived, but the back door was locked. Once she got inside, she found Deaton in the examination room with someone on the table. His face was blocked by Deaton, but his torso was pale, sweaty, and black fluid seeped from a wound in his stomach.

“Nina.” Deaton turned his head to look at her, his features grim. “Thank you for coming. You’re just in time.”

“What happened?” She was used to animals, but she’d never seen a human lay on the table before. The sight rooted Nina in her spot, unable to move forward or leave.

Deaton sighed. “I don’t know. I just heard gunshots, and found him in the woods near the Hale house.” He pulled on his latex gloves and stepped away to get his equipment. Nina saw the boy’s face, and she felt her heart stop. 

It was Scott.

“What the hell happened?” Nina demanded again, her voice rising as Scott let out a groan.

Deaton sighed. “I told you, I don’t know. These things happen. That’s what this life is.”

This life? A teenager dying on a veterinarian’s examination table was what this life was? “I never wanted to be a part of this life!” 

“You don’t get to decide that.” Her own words to Deaton were thrown back in her face, but they weren’t unkind. The light in Deaton’s eye was urgent, stern, keeping any fear at bay. “We don’t have time to argue. You can leave, and I will never ask for your help with this again. I won’t hold it against you. Or, you can help me with Scott, and make sure he lives through this.”

Deaton wouldn’t have called her for nothing. He truly believed that she could help, and perhaps even needed the extra assistance. Whatever it was that happened to him, if Scott didn’t make it and Nina wasn’t there, she would never forgive herself. Swallowing her nerves — and the small amount of vomit that had risen in her throat, Nina pulled her hair back and gave Deaton a single nod. “What do you need me to do?”

Chapter Text

Scott would be fine. At least, that’s what Deaton promised once he forced her out the door at midnight. 

“We were just in time. I’ll monitor him through the night to make sure we didn’t miss anything. In the meantime, you need rest.”

Nina didn’t think she’d sleep until she knew for certain that Scott was okay. He’d woken up briefly after the minor surgery was completed, and seemed to recognize both her and Deaton, but he was unconscious when she left the clinic. 

As soon as she stepped through her apartment door, Nina knew she was screwed. Will sat on the couch, arms folded neatly over his chest as he stared at her expectantly. “Hey, Mum,” She greeted, forcing her voice to be light.

“It took you two hours to get ‘something’ from Lydia’s?” He stood, his eyes narrowing on her.

Nina shrugged. “She was upset about the breakup with Jackson. We watched a movie. I’m obviously fine, so—”

“There’s blood on your coat.” Nina’s brow furrowed as she looked down. Sure enough, a tiny spot that Nina was so sure she’d washed out had stained. “There’s been blood on your coat. And bruises that are still healing. Ever since the night you went to the library. What have you been lying to me about?”

“I haven’t been lying to you about anything.” Nina looked away as she kicked her shoes off and shrugged off her coat. 

“You haven’t told me anything! You haven’t talked to me in a week!” The agitation finally began to show through as Will stood and threw his hands out. “Every time I try to talk to you about the case, you shut me out!”

Nina rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Please, forgive me for not wanting to talk about the murder case we were almost victims of.”

“If you were really that affected by it, you wouldn’t be out past curfew every other night.” 

“Don’t pretend you care what I’m going through,” She snapped, turning back to glare at her brother. It was because of how affected she was by it that she was out every other night. The implication that Will knew anything about what she was feeling sent a spike of anger through her. “If you cared, you would’ve asked me about the bruises instead of using them to accuse me.”

Will straightened. “Do they have something to do with the Argents?”

The sudden question forced Nina into shocked silence. She blinked, not knowing what to say. It did, but not for the reasons he thought. “Why would it have anything to do with them?”

“You were talking to Chris and Kate after the game. None of you looked happy about it. Kate was glaring at you. And now that we know that they have deeper connections to the murders—”

“What, you think they threatened me to stay out of it? That’s why you think I haven’t been ‘investigating’ the murders with you? Maybe I just don’t want to! ” 

He shook his head, the concept of Nina simply not wanting to play detective with him impossible. He was right, but Nina still found it insulting. “The only way it would make sense is if you knew something and were hiding it from me. We’re supposed to protect each other, Nini!”

Of course she was hiding something from him — it was the only way to possibly keep her idiot brother out of this mess! Nina’s hands curled into fists at her sides. “It’s none of your business. You’ve never protected me, you just want some semblance of control! That's why you blamed me for the school!”

“I never blamed you for the school!” Her eyes narrowed as Will’s voice rose. “You seriously think I was mad at you for that? I was angry because you lied to me about why we were there in the first place! And then I got over it.”

An indignant laugh escaped her. “Wow, thank you so much—”

“And now you're lying to me again! But this time, you won't even let me be there to help!”

“There is nothing for you to help with!” Her own voice rose at the incessant arguing. “I don't need you!”

Will paused, his face falling flat and cold. “What?”

“What the hell is going on?” Both twins’ heads shot to the hall, where their mother stood, angrily watching the two. 

~~~

Because she had broken curfew, for the next two weeks, Nina was grounded. No car outside of school and work, and no Allison or Lydia, except for dress shopping for the dance. Nina thought that the grounding would allow her that out, but no such luck. Now, Jen was going to personally see to it that Nina made it to and from the formal ‘without any detours.’ Any hope of sneaking away from the dance was dashed without a car. Paired with the fact that Will was once again giving her the silent treatment, Nina knew that the coming week would be awful. The drive to the school was its own nightmare. 

Nina wasn’t naive enough to believe that keeping the truth from Will and her mother would ‘protect’ them. The Holmes family didn’t believe that ignorance was bliss. What she did know, however, was that they would never believe her without proof. And Nina didn’t yet have the means to safely prove the reality of Beacon Hills. 

That reality was currently peeking around the stair corridor with his best friend, loudly whispering Nina’s name and waving her down. Letting out a small sigh, Nina shouldered her bag and joined the two boys in the corridor. “Scott. Bilinski.” Stiles lifted his hand slightly in greeting. Scott, who had been insistent on talking to her, was now silent as he tried to find the words. “How are you feeling?” She asked, her voice dropping. Scott now appeared as though nothing had happened, but Nina had seen what he was like just two days prior. Clammy, barely conscious, and on the brink of death. Her stomach churned at the thought. 

“Huh? Oh, fine!” He smiled brightly. “Once the wolfsbane was out, I was good as new.”

Nina’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Would you like to say that louder? I don’t think enough people heard you.”

His face dropped slightly at the revelation and he quickly glanced around to see if anyone was listening. “Right. Sorry. Seriously, though, thank you for helping me. Deaton said I might not have made it if it wasn’t for you.”

That was depressing to think about. The expression on Stiles’s face showed that he felt the same sentiment. “Try not to make a habit of getting shot,” She replied quietly, beginning to turn on her heel to walk away. 

She made it about a step before Scott’s voice brought her back. “Nina, wait. How long have you known?”

Could she tell him? Should she tell him? Letting out a sigh, she glanced around the hall. “He… it… attacked me the night after the school.” Nina folded her arms over her chest as her face twisted. Being in public saved her the embarrassment of referring to it as an alpha, which still filled her with righteous annoyance as no one would explain to her why they called themselves that. 

“The alpha?” Scott asked in a particularly loud whisper, not having the same reservations about keeping quiet.

“Wolves don’t have that hierarchy,” Nina replied back quickly. “Why do werewolves? Do you know?” It was completely off topic, but the opportunity to figure it out was too good to pass up. 

His brow furrowed. “Wolves don’t do that? I thought they did.”

“No, that’s a myth. The researcher was disproven.”

“Then why do werewolves do it?”

“That’s what I’m asking!”

“Guys!” Both Scott and Nina turned to Stiles, who was giving them both an incredulous look before he focused on Nina. “Peter Hale attacked you?” 

“Peter Hale?” Nina wouldn’t have guessed him at all. “Isn’t he in a coma?”

“Not anymore. Did he bite you?” Stiles’s voice was gaining an edge to it as he desperately tried to stay on topic. She understood, but the new information made it difficult to stick to business.

Nina huffed. “He certainly tried.”

Both of their eyes widened. “Why? Does he want you to join the pack with Scott?” Stiles asked, his voice rising slightly before he was shushed.

“Shit, I forgot to ask him his motivation after he grabbed my ankle and dragged me across the asphalt!” She hissed.

“Well, it would have been helpful,” He replied lamely as Nina glared. “Wait, he tried to? As in failed? How did you get away?” Nina relayed the story, changing the ending only slightly so that she drove away instead of Chris saving her. If Stiles and Scott knew that the Argents had their eye on Nina, they might not trust her. Which, while it wouldn’t be the end of the world, it would make things more complicated. “Mace and a knife was all it took for you to fight off the alpha?”

“Bear spray. It’s stronger.” It had taken three showers to get her eyes to stop watering. At Stiles’s skeptical look, Nina continued. “Besides, ‘alpha’ or otherwise, I hardly doubt he was at full strength after a six year coma.”

“He’s at full strength now. So… y’know, be careful.” Nina got a dose of deja vu from earlier in the semester, when Scott gave her a similar warning. Back when she didn’t know anything. The warning bell for their next class rang, and her attempt to leave was once again interrupted. Scott looked at her hopefully, wide-eyed with a small smile. “Now that you know why I’ve been lying to Allison, can you tell her she can trust me?”

He was still on about that? Nina had to hold herself back from snorting in his face. “No.”

“What? Why not? You’re her friend!”

“I’m her friend, not her keeper. You’ve lied to her all semester, you kissed her best friend, and her entire family is out to kill you! Why do you want to get back together?”

The disappointment on Scott’s face was palpable. “Because I love her.”

Nina deadpanned. “Wow, you’re a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.”

“But they both died.”

Forming the most scandalized expression she could muster, Nina gasped. “They what?” At Scott’s frown, she rolled her eyes. “I won’t get in your way unless you’re being creepy. Just so you know, what I say to her hardly matters. She is her own person and capable of making her own decisions.”

“I know that!”

“Then act like it!” She hated when people got defensive instead of just listening, for god’s sake. “If you want her to trust you, give her a reason to, instead of trying to get her friends to convince her. Tell her what’s going on! And you’d better do it before her family does.”

As the cogs turned in Scott’s mind, Nina checked her phone. One minute until class started. She bid the two boys farewell as she left, not realizing her mistake until she heard Stiles whisper to Scott,

“How does she know about the Argents?”

Maybe she should follow her own advice.

~~~

The fluorescent lights in the mall stung, and Nina was getting annoyed with her best friend as they made their way to the third department store to get a homecoming dress. From Allison’s expression, it was obvious that she was in the same boat.

Lydia glanced at them and huffed. “ Ugh. You two are horrible. Ever heard the saying, “Never frown, someone could be falling in love with your smile?’”

Nina had heard the saying before. From Lydia. “Who said that, Sun Tzu?”

Rolling her eyes, Lydia looked ahead as they stepped onto the escalator. “He might as well have. Besides, I think buying Allison’s dress is reason enough to smile.”

Why would that be a reason for Nina to smile? If anything, it pissed her off that Allison accepted it. It only proved Lydia right that buying people’s love and forgiveness was healthy, let alone possible, but she wasn’t going to go ‘therapist’ on them in the middle of the mall.

“As far as apologies go, that’s more than I expected,” Allison chuckled. “But not as much as I’m going to ask.” She shot Nina a conspiratory grin as they continued to the top of the escalator, but Nina only stared blankly back. She had no idea what Allison was talking about.

Lydia’s brow furrowed as she looked between the two. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Allison began to explain. “You’re going to cancel on whatever dumb, roided-up jock you said yes to, and you’re going to go with somebody else.”

They reached the top and stepped out of the way, stopping as Lydia stared begrudgingly at Allison. “Who?”

Allison turned to the perfume counter with a smile, prompting Lydia and Nina to follow her gaze. Nina’s face dropped at the sight of Stiles spraying himself in the face with cologne, and then having a coughing fit.

“Oh, don’t frown, Lydia,” Allison scolded with a smirk. “Someone could be falling in love with your smile."

They looked back at Stiles, who had taken notice of the three. A hesitant smile lit up his face as he lifted his hand to them in greeting. The sight sent a stab of guilt through Nina. Usually, boys trying to win Lydia’s heart only made her annoyed, but did Allison tell him that this was payback? Did he know he was a punishment for Lydia? Sure, he was annoying, but he didn’t deserve that. 

To Lydia’s credit, she took the new information in stride, squaring her shoulders and stalking past Stiles to the dress section. Once she decided they finally had an adequate selection of dresses, the real testament to their friendship began.

“No.” Lydia didn’t even look at the dress in Nina’s hands as she rifled through the rack.

Nina’s eye twitched. “It’s a little black dress. You said that a little black dress is a classic.”

Her friend rolled her eyes. “It’s a classic for a woman in her forties going to a company gala. For a high school dance, it’s boring. Pick something else.” Her head tilted as she pulled out a ruffled pink dress, holding it up to Nina. “Something like this!”

“That will make me look like a chewed up piece of bubblegum.”

“A super cute piece of bubblegum.”

“I will stab you.”

As they continued to bicker, Stiles leaned over to Allison. “Are they usually like this?”

Her lips pursed as she nodded. “It’s worse when shopping, but yeah.”

Lydia found a few more dresses to pile onto Stiles before she left to go try them on, leaving Nina to search without her friend breathing down her neck. She let out a small sigh of relief and continued looking. A light, slightly faded blue color caught her attention, and she pulled the dress off the rack. It was simple enough to align with Nina’s style, but had enough going on that Lydia couldn’t deem it as ‘too boring.’ 

As she draped the dress over her arm, ice shot through her veins at the sound of a familiar voice. Nina spun around to locate the voice, seeing Allison a few rows down talking to the man from the library. Allison turned, looking at the dresses, when Nina saw his arm reach out.

Nina rushed to Allison’s side and grabbed her hand before the man could, glaring at him. She wasn’t usually one to cause a scene, but her instinct proved correct as she clocked the missing burn scars. Was this Peter Hale? How had she forgotten about the weird man who talked to her only a few hours before she was attacked? “Don’t touch her,” She announced loudly, catching the attention of surrounding patrons. If they were in public, they would be safe. Right?

He held his hands up in surrender, a calm smile on his face. “I’m just offering my own two cents.”

“We don’t know you.” Nina leveled him with the harshest glare she could manage, knowing he could sense her fear. God, that sounded so ridiculous. She took a step back, pulling Allison with her. 

Damn bystander effect. There were plenty of onlookers, but none of them stepped in. Nina tensed, debating on the safety of walking away. What if he followed?

“Attention: A white car with the license plate…”

“That’s my car!” Allison cursed as she grabbed Nina’s arm, pulling her towards the parking garage. Once they were far enough away, she leaned closer to Nina’s ear and squeezed her arm. “Thanks.”

~~~

“Stop twitching!”

“Stop stabbing me!”

Lydia huffed, setting the mascara down on the desk. “I don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I didn’t ask you to!” Nina protested. “You just showed up!”

Lydia rolled her eyes in response, grabbing Nina by the jaw and twisting her head side to side. “We were all supposed to go together,” She muttered, still laser focused on the makeup. “Me and Jackson, Allison and Scott, you and… what’s his name.”

“Isaac,” Nina reminded. “And he isn’t my date, we’re going together as friends. You’re required to be nice to him.”

“If he was your date, I would be allowed to be mean?”

“Obviously.”

She rolled her eyes again, a small smile playing at her lips. “I think a bold lip will distract from your eyes.”

“Thanks,” Nina replied dryly. Ever since the interaction with Peter Hale at the mall — Nina had conferred with Stiles as soon as she could to make sure it was, in fact, Peter Hale — she’d developed a stress migraine. Not bad enough to convince her mother to let her stay home from the formal, but bad enough to have kept her awake for the past two days, resulting in dark circles underneath her eyes. Nina wasn’t a stranger to the circles, and she didn’t care enough to cover them. Lydia, obviously, disagreed. 

As she continued her work, a frown settled on her lips. “We can get pictures,” Nina offered. “You, me, and Allison. No boys allowed.”

“Of course we’re getting pictures, Nini, don’t be an idiot.” She couldn’t help but laugh, earning a smack on the top of the head from Lydia to keep still. “You’re going to mess it up!”

Chapter Text

Nina knew the formal would be annoying, but this was on another level she couldn’t have predicted.

Music blasted throughout the gym, strobe lights swam around the room, and teenagers were either dancing or arguing or laughing as far as the eye could see. Will was still giving Nina the silent treatment, hiding in the bleachers as he organized the betting pool, and Isaac was bothered by… something. He could hardly look at her without his face turning red or stumbling over his words. Getting him to put his arm around her for pictures before they left seemed to make him want to sink into the floor, and now that they were sitting together at a table, he was also silent. Was Isaac angry with her too? Either Will told him about the argument and Isaac took his side, or he finally convinced Isaac that it wasn’t his responsibility to play mediator. That was unlikely, considering Isaac never listened when the twins told him to stay out of their petty fights. Plus, she’d seen Isaac angry before. It was rare, but it wasn’t like this. Either way, with equally-murderous werewolves and werewolf hunters at the back of Nina’s mind, navigating unvoiced emotions was not something she could add to her plate. 

At least she could distract herself with the petty drama of other students. She’d seen three couples break up over the span of fifteen minutes. “Do you think we’ll hit four before eight o’clock?” She asked, turning to Lydia. The girl only glared at her. “Too soon?”

Nina had assumed that hanging out with Lydia may help her throughout the night. She was wrong. Lydia was pouting and watching Jackson across the room, making Stiles miserable, and Isaac was just being awkward. Maybe it was Nina’s fault for having him sit at the same table as the girl who had harshly rejected him at the beginning of first year. Maybe it took longer to get over that type of thing than she thought. Looking at Isaac, she found the boy slumped in his chair and watching the dance floor. He had seemed excited for tonight. It was unfair for her to ruin that for him. 

“Do you want to go dance?” She asked, causing him to snap his head towards her.

“Huh?” His brow furrowed in confusion. “You want to be surrounded by drunk teenagers?”

“Of course not.” She grabbed her coat and bag and draped them over Lydia’s seat before standing. “But you do. Come on.”

The way Isaac’s face lit up made the whole thing a little more bearable. And as the band started playing a song that was half-way decent, Nina found herself in the mood to have fun. Her head pounded in time with the speakers, but she was able to ignore it as she and Isaac bobbed along to the music. 

“Ha ha, Lahey!” After one song, Coach Finstock approached the two, clapping his hand over Isaac’s shoulder. “Good to see you here, Kid.” He kept his hand there as he turned to Nina with a grin. “This guy was so nervous to ask you to the formal that I almost kicked him off the team just to get him to stop talking to me about it.”

“Thank you, Coach,” Isaac said dryly. 

It seemed he wasn’t done, as Finstock just laughed again. “I told him, be direct. Just like my ex-wife, when she needed a visa. She’s Irish too, y’know.” He nodded at Nina.

“I’m British.” 

He grimaced. “Ugh. By choice?”

Nina snorted. “Interestingly enough, no.”

He nodded, lifting his hand from Isaac to point at her. “I’d get that looked at if I were you.”

“Thank you,” Nina replied solemnly. 

Finstock patted Isaac’s shoulder once more before something caught his eye. “Hey, McCall! I see you!” He stormed through Nina and Isaac, breaking them apart on his tirade to catch Scott. He weaved through the other students, eventually posing as Danny’s date in a scheme to get Finstock to let him stay at the formal. Nina was mostly surprised that it had worked. 

As the song faded out, the band began playing a softer ballad. It only took a little coaxing to get Isaac to put his hands on her waist, and she rested her own on his shoulders. Once they began swaying to the music, Nina grinned at him. “You asked Coach Finstock for advice on how to ask me to the formal?”

Isaac groaned. “Y’know, I thought you would be nice and ignore that.”

A soft snort escaped her. “Nice? Unlikely.”

“I don’t know,” He hummed, giving an exaggerated shrug of the shoulders. “I think you’re pretty nice.”

She rolled her eyes. “I still don’t get it. Why would you be nervous? We’re friends, how hard was it that Will had to ask for you?”

His features pinched together as he stared at her in disbelief. When Nina didn’t relent, he sighed. “Will was right, you’re an idiot.”

“Wow, Isaac, you really know how to make a girl weak in the knees.” Her annoyance spiked at the mention of her brother, along with the insult. Nina thought she had ruled out Isaac being angry with her, but apparently she was wrong. 

Eyes widening, Isaac gaped. “No — I didn’t mean that, I just meant —”

Without warning, a student slammed into Nina, spilling his punch all over the front of her. “My bad,” He slurred before walking off, swaying.

Nina was right. This sucked. People turned to stare, watching as the red liquid dripped down her. “Ugh, I’ll be back.”

“Wait—”

“Don’t worry, Isaac, I’m not too much of an idiot to clean myself up.” She gave him a mock salute and left the gymnasium, students parting to let her through.

The girl’s bathroom was mostly empty, save for a first-year girl crying while her friend comforted her. She was able to get the sticky drink off of her collarbone and arms with a wet paper towel, but it was obvious that the dress was a lost cause. She only tried one spot, but the stain only lifted to a light purple against the blue fabric instead of the original pink stain. Now that her bad mood returned, her migraine was once again in focus as she harshly threw the wadded paper towel into the trash bin and left the crying girl in the bathroom.

At the entrance to the gym, she found Stiles and Jackson in a face-off. Lydia was nowhere in sight. “Where’s Lydia?” She asked, her stomach dropping at the sight of their grim expressions. 

“Jackson.” She’s never heard Stiles sound so serious. “What did you do?”

Even from where she stood, she could smell the alcohol on Jackson. Or maybe that was her dress. “I thought I saw the alpha in the woods, but it was Allison’s dad. I told him about Scott, that’s all — I made sure he wouldn’t hurt him!”

“You told him about Scott?” Stiles demanded, squaring his shoulders. 

Nina stepped forward. “Why is Chris here? Was he alone?”

Jackson’s head swiveled between the two. “He had a whole team with him. And I don’t know, he just said it’s safer inside.”

Something was going on. If Lydia was unaccounted for, she was in danger. Where would she be? Without a word, Nina began running down the hall. 

“Nina? Nina!” She could hear Stiles’s footsteps as he ran after her. To her annoyance, her heels made it so he easily caught up to her. “Where are we going?”

“Jackson goes to the field when he’s upset. Lydia would try to find him there.”

“How do you know she was looking for him?” He asked. They turned a corner to another hallway, and Nina nearly tripped before Stiles caught her arm. “And what if she isn’t there?”

Gritting her teeth, Nina pressed forward. “Because I know my friend. She will be.”

Sure enough, with all of the lights on, Lydia stood in the middle of the field. From where Nina and Stiles were, gaining speed once Lydia was in sight, another figure was outlined behind her. Once they got closer, the figure was more visible. Peter Hale.

Stiles screamed to get Lydia’s attention, but all it did was distract her. She turned to look at Stiles and Nina, leaving an opening for Peter to attack.

They didn’t get to her until she hit the ground.

Peter hunched over Lydia’s unconscious body, glaring at both Nina and Stiles as he gave a low growl. Nina fell to her knees, getting as close to Lydia as Peter would allow. Following suit, Stiles pleaded with the older man to not kill her. 

Lifting his hand, the nail on Peter’s index finger extended into a nail, hovering close to Lydia’s face. “Don’t touch her.”

The intensity in Nina’s voice almost surprised herself. It seemed to also catch Peter off guard as he paused, something undistinguishable flashing across his eyes. “I won’t,” He finally said, a taunting smile overcoming his face. “Just tell me how to find Derek.”

“Deal.” Never mind that Nina had never met the man. Her main goal was getting Peter away from Lydia. Everything else came second.

“What?” Stiles’s head spun to Nina in shock. “We — how would we know that?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Nina forced past grit teeth, watching as Peter’s hand strayed just shy of Lydia’s skin. A soft, visible cloud of fog came fron her parted lips. Still breathing. 

Peter grinned, making her skin crawl. “Way to be a team player, Nini.” Anger stirred at the use of Lydia’s nickname for her. How long had he been listening? “You’re both the clever ones, aren’t you? And because deception has such a particularly acrid scent, Stiles . Tell me the truth, or I will rip her apart.”

“Touch her, and you will never see Derek again.”

The chuckle which came from Peter made her urge to kill him herself even stronger. “Cute. You aren’t exactly in the position to be making demands, you know. If you’d like, your own death can be added to the mix.”

Stiles sputtered. “I don’t know! I swear — I swear to God, I have no idea—”

“Tell me!”

The pain that overtook Nina was the same as that night at the school. Her hands clapped over her ringing ears, tears springing from her eyes as she did everything in her power to not completely crumple to the ground. Stiles began stuttering something out, but she only caught the tail end. “He might have taken Scott’s phone.”

“Why?”

“All phones have GPS now,” He explained. “If Derek has it, and it’s on, we can find him.”

A moment of tense silence followed as Peter, the man who had been in a coma for six years during a rapid technological shift, decided whether or not Stiles was lying. Eventually he grinned. “Well then, what are we waiting for?” He lifted himself from over Lydia and stood, and Nina took the opportunity to lurch forward. Her hands pressed against the junction between Lydia’s shoulder and neck, which was still bleeding from Peter’s attack. His bite. Lydia was still breathing, but for how long? If the bite didn’t take, according to the Argents, she would die. 

A scream escaped Nina as a clawed hand grabbed her by the back of the neck and lifted her from the ground. 

“Let her stay!” Stiles stepped forward, stopping when Nina gasped as sharp claws pressed into her neck. “We can’t leave Lydia here alone — she’ll die.”

“If it takes, she’ll heal.”

“Not if she bleeds out first!” Nina was surprised she had found the courage to speak. 

Peter let out a long sigh, as though this entire thing was no more than a mild inconvenience to him. “One phone call. One. If they don’t answer, we leave Lydia’s fate up to… well, fate.”

Nina didn’t have her phone on her. She’d left it in her bag, which was still in the gym. She looked at Stiles with wide eyes, prompting him to fumble through his pockets before pulling out his own phone. Once he held the phone up to his ear, every second that passed only signed Lydia’s death warrant. Finally, when Stiles heaved out a relieved breath, Nina knew whoever was on the other end of the line answered. “Jackson! Come to the lacrosse field, now. It’s Lydia—”

Peter took Stiles’s phone. “Better hurry, Jackson.” With that, he ended the call, crushing Stiles’s phone and dropping it on the field. 

~~~

As Stiles drove his shitty Jeep, Peter gave directions from the passenger seat while Nina sat in the back. “Don’t feel bad,” He said, breaking the tense silence. “If she lives, she’ll become a werewolf. She’ll be incredibly powerful.”

“Yeah, and once a month, she’ll go out of her fucking mind and try to tear me apart,” Stiles spat.

“Well, considering that she’s a woman… twice a month.”

The ‘joke’ hung in the air as Stiles’s jaw dropped, turning to stare at Peter incredulously before making eye contact with Nina in the rearview mirror. At this point, the numbness surrounding the whole ordeal was setting in. For better or worse, Nina was slowly losing the ability to care about holding her tongue. “How do werewolf menstrual cycles work?” She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. “Is it more of a menstrual or estrous cycle? What happens if they’re menstruating during a full moon?”

“I don’t know,” Peter gritted out. “I didn’t exactly ask .” 

“Why not?” She demanded. “Such a large family, some of them statistically had to be women.”

“Not anymore.”

“You lost your grieving privileges when you murdered your own niece,” She shot back, ignoring the rising annoyance in Peter’s voice. Stiles shot her a glare through the mirror. The smart thing to do would be to shut up, but now that she was going, Nina couldn’t bring herself to stop. Adrenaline and fear were a hell of a combination. “You were going to turn me and, what, expect me to just figure it out like Scott? It could be a completely different process!” No response came. “Why did you try to turn me, anyway?”

After a moment, Peter sighed. “Scott… values your opinion, for whatever reason. He respects you. I thought you were smarter than your friends at the time, so I figured you would be a… good influence.” A loud snort escaped her as she and Stiles shared a doubtful look. Nina? A good influence? “Now I know you’re just as idiotic as the rest of them. I won’t turn you, but I can still kill you. I’m stronger than mace and a kitchen knife, now.”

“It was bear spray,” Nina corrected lamely. 

Peter directed Stiles to the parking garage of an apartment building — Nina’s own building was only a few blocks away — and had him park next to a gray car. Once they stopped, he got out first, pulling both teenagers out and guiding them to the trunk. “Whose car is this?” Stiles asked.

“It belonged to my nurse.”

“What happened to your n— oh my god!” Peter opened the trunk to the car, revealing the dead body of a woman in a nurse’s dress. Nina’s breath hitched in her throat. This was the second dead body she’d seen in just the span of a few months. Or was it just one month? This semester had been such a whirlwind that she couldn’t remember what had happened in the past week. 

He grabbed a satchel from under her arm and gave it to Stiles, looking in between his shocked face and the dead woman. “I got better,” he stated simply, closing the trunk. He then opened the satchel and retrieved a laptop, setting it up with a hotspot. 

“You know about mi-fi, but not about phone GPS?” Nina asked, folding her arms over her chest. The cold night air was setting in, and Nina didn't have a coat.

“Turn it on, get connected,” Peter replied gruffly.

“You know, you’re really killing the whole ‘werewolf mystique’ thing here.” Stiles stepped forward, getting the electronics set up. “Look, you still need Scott’s username and password, and I’m sorry, but I don’t know them.”

“You know both of them.”

“No, I don’t,” Stiles insisted. 

Peter tilted his head. “Even if I couldn’t hear your heartbeat, I would still be able to tell that you’re lying.”

“Dude, I swear to god—”

Nina yelled as Peter slammed Stiles’s head onto the trunk of the car. The words escaped before she could stop herself. “I know it! I know them, just stop!” It was true. She’d seen Scott log onto the computer at the clinic plenty of times. Knowing him, he was stupid enough to use the same login information. 

At that, Peter stepped to the side, bringing Stiles with him. “What happens when you find Derek?” Stiles asked, watching as Nina approached the computer. At least she could blame the extra time she was taking on fear. 

“Don’t think, Stiles. Let Nina type.”

“You’re gonna kill people, aren’t you?”

“Hasn’t he already?” Nina bit out.

Peter sighed. “Only the responsible ones.”

“Like Laura?” 

Peter’s hand clamped around the nape of Nina’s neck as he grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back to glare at her. “Laura did nothing. As soon as the ash settled, she took Derek and ran off to New York, and let the humans who murdered us off the hook. She wasn’t cut out to be the alpha. I’m simply rectifying her mistakes.”

The mistake of focusing on what little family she had left? Nina was hardly one to give anyone else credit, but from her understanding, Laura Hale had to become the sole guardian of Derek at the age of eighteen. She hardly had the resources to enact revenge.

Even if Nina would have been dumb enough to talk back — which, given her track record for the night so far, was more likely than she cared to admit — Stiles spoke first. “Look, if we do this, you have to promise to leave Scott out of it.”

It was a weak bargain. Peter held all of the power, and all three of them knew it. “Do you know why wolves hunt in packs?” He asked, loosening his grip on Nina.

“Their prey is too large to take down alone,” Nina answered on instinct. 

“ Very good , Nini,” Peter replied, sarcasm and condescension drenching his voice. She tensed as he turned back to Stiles. “I need Derek and Scott. I need both of them.”

Stiles clenched his jaw. “He won’t help you.”

“Oh, he will. Because it’ll save Allison. Now, enough stalling.” Peter’s hand moved to Nina’s shoulder, claws digging into her skin. A shaky breath escaped her as her fingers hovered above the keyboard, then hesitantly typed in the information. His annoyed, disbelieving tone cut through the tension. “His username is Allison?” A moment later, “His password is also Allison ?”

Stiles huffed. “You still want him in your pack?”

The GPS was easy enough to pull up, and after three agonizing turns of the wheel on the loading screen, an aerial view of the Beacon Hills Preserve appeared with a bright green arrow. “Wait, that’s where they’re keeping him?” Stiles stepped forward to get a better look at the screen.

Nina turned to him. “You know where that is?” She would have assumed he was lying if it weren’t for the genuine look of confusion in his eye.

“Yeah, that’s his house.” Stiles nodded.

“Under it,” Peter corrected. “I know exactly where that is.” A howl sounded in the distance, prompting all of them to pause. “And I’m not the only one.”

He shut the laptop, returning it to the satchel with the little hotspot, and tossed it back into the trunk. Before he got into the driver’s seat, he turned to Stiles. “Give me your keys.”

Stiles sighed and fished them out of his pocket, handing them to Peter. “Careful. She grinds in second.” Rather than take them, Peter crushed the keys, leaving them bent at odd angles and completely unusable. Stiles gaped, then stared up at Peter in confusion. “So you’re not gonna kill us?”

Peter glared at Stiles and took a step towards the two, causing them both to take a step back. “Don’t you understand it yet?” He demanded. “I’m not the bad guy here.”

“You’re still a bad guy,” Nina muttered. 

“Yeah, come on,” Stiles agreed. “You turn into a big monster with red eyes and fangs, and you’re not the bad guy?”

Peter huffed out a laugh. “I like you two.” Stiles scoffed. “Since you’ve both helped me, I’ll give you something in return. Do you want the bite?”

“I thought you said you wouldn’t turn me?” Nina asked, taking another step back.

Peter smiled at her. “I’m willing to reconsider.”

After everything Scott’s been through? And Lydia? It was a no-brainer. “No thanks.”

He stared at her for a moment before shrugging. “Your loss. Stiles?”

Stiles’s head spun between Nina and Peter. “What?”

“Do you want the bite?” Stiles only stared blankly. “If it doesn’t kill you — and it could — you’ll become like us.”

“Like you,” Stiles repeated.

“Yes. A werewolf. Would you like me to draw you a picture?” He closed in on Stiles, who stayed put. “That first night in the woods, I took Scott because I needed a new pack. It could have easily been you. You’d be every bit as powerful as him. No more standing by his side, watching him become stronger, and quicker, more popular, watching him get the girl—”

“Oh my god , can you get to the point already? I’m freezing!” Both men looked at her, Peter unimpressed, as Nina rubbed her arms. 

Peter looked back at Stiles, taking his wrist and slowly lifting his arm. “You’d be equals. Or maybe more. Yes or no?”

Stiles glanced at Nina, covered in punch and blood, and shivering. When he looked back at Peter, the older man opened his mouth and moved to bite his wrist. Stiles ripped his arm from Peter’s grasp. “I don’t want to be like you.”

“Do you know what I heard just then?” Peter asked. “Your heart beating slightly faster over the words “I don’t want. ” Something I didn’t hear when your friend here said the same thing. You may think you’re telling the truth, but you are lying to yourself. Goodbye, Stiles. Nina.” He nodded at the two of them, getting into the car and driving away.

As soon as he had left the parking garage, leaving the two teenagers with the Jeep and ineffective keys, Nina kicked herself into gear. “Do you have a spare key?” She demanded, starting off in the direction of a dumpster at the opposite end of the garage.

“What?”

“A spare key, Stiles, to your Jeep!”

“Yeah, but it’s inside the locked car — hey, what are you doing?”

“Improvising!” She called back. An old armchair poked out from the top, legs facing up, and it only took two harsh tugs for one to break free. It was sturdy enough, as long as she didn’t hold back. She returned to the driver’s side of the jeep and swung the wooden leg into the window, where a small crack appeared on contact.

Stiles sputtered in protest. “What the hell!”

“I’ll pay for it!” Another swing, and the cracks spread. One more, and the window shattered. She reached in and pulled the lock, opening the door and climbing up into the seat. She reached across the seat to unlock the passenger door, then peered out the broken driver’s window to glare at the now-frozen Stiles. “Get in, or I’m leaving you here!”

It only took another second for Stiles to run up to the driver’s side. “I’m driving.”

“No.” Nina flipped the visor down, and the spare key to the Jeep landed in her lap. “God, you’re as bad as Scott.” He could have at least tried to keep it somewhere more secure. She took the key and turned it in the ignition, the engine starting. 

Stiles sighed, giving up and going around the Jeep to the passenger side. “She grinds—”

“Grinds in second, yes, I heard you.”

Nina pulled out of the parking garage, heading to the hospital. Lydia first. She had to see how she was doing. If Stiles objected to where they were going, he didn’t voice it. “I can’t believe you broke my window,” He grumbled.

“You’re lucky you had a spare key so I didn’t have to hotwire it.”

He turned to stare at her. “You can hotwire a car?”

“I’m a little rusty, but yes.”

He gaped. “A little rust— how often are you hotwiring cars?”

Nina shrugged. “I haven’t had to since I moved here. Before that… how often did I have to do it genuinely, or just as practice?”

When she turned to Stiles with her question to clarify what he meant, he was staring at her with his brow furrowed and eyes narrowed. “Who are you?” When she didn’t answer the dumb question, Stiles slumped back against his seat. “Fine. How long have you been working with the Argents?”

Rolling her eyes, Nina sped up. Not a lot of people were out, thankfully. “Never. When Peter attacked me at the library, Chris saved me. He explained what was going on, and when they figured out the ‘beta’ was a teenager, they asked me who I thought it was. I played dumb. They haven’t tried to use me since.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t tell the Argents about Scott, I didn’t tell you about the Argents. Seemed fair.”

“Fair? They killed a whole family!” 

“Werewolves have killed people too. I was mostly just trying to stay out of this whole thing.”

“That worked out great, huh?” Nina rolled her eyes again. He went silent, leaving them at a tense impasse until he couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke again. “I wasn’t lying earlier. I don’t want to be a werewolf.”

Nina’s face scrunched up. “Okay? I don’t care.” Stiles didn’t say anything, and when she glanced over, he was staring out the window. “Look, werewolves kill humans, humans kill werewolves, werewolves kill werewolves, humans kill humans — it doesn’t matter. I didn’t turn down the bite because of some moral reason, I just don’t need it. I’m mentally and physically stable, and adding lycanthropy on top of that would only complicate things for me. If you want to be a werewolf because you think it'll fix your life, find someone to turn you who isn't a serial killer. Like Scott."

“Scott isn't an alpha.”

Her face went blank. “How does that matter?”

“Only alphas can turn people into werewolves.”

“ Fucking christ— none of this makes sense!” She slammed her hand against the steering wheel, startling Stiles. “Werewolves? Okay, I guess. Serial killer werewolf? There might as well be. Alpha, beta, and omega are all a part of a legit hierarchy and the werewolf power depends on where you are on the totem pole? No. I can't do it. I can’t!”

Stiles didn’t respond for a moment. “Mentally stable, huh?” She turned to glare at him, causing him to wither back. “I mean… yes, you are… that.”

She let out a strangled sigh, pressing her foot down on the gas. 

~~~

As soon as they found the floor Lydia was on, they were intercepted by the sheriff. “You know what? It’s good that we’re in a hospital, because I’m gonna kill you! Nina— whose blood is that? Are you alright?” His voice was soft; parent mode taking over once he saw the state she was in, and all of a sudden, Nina felt like a small child. Nina opened her mouth to lie, but nothing came out as all of her focus went into holding back tears. His brow furrowed, features softening in worry. He rested his hand on her shoulder, immediately pulling away. “Jesus, you're freezing. Here.” Stilinski pulled off his coat and draped it across her shoulders before flagging down another officer. “Get her a change of clothes and have someone call her mom.”

“Where is she?” Nina asked, her voice shakier than normal.

“She just left to bring Will and his friend home.”

The officer placed a hand on Nina's arm and offered her a reassuring smile. “Come on. Are you hurt at all?”

She pulled away from her harshly. “I can't legally be questioned without a guardian present,” she bit out, her tone icy.

Stilinski sighed. “Nina, you're a victim, not a suspect —”

“I won't say anything until my mother is here.”

He faltered, staring at the tense and shivering teenage girl. Even in a heated building with a coat on, the chill had settled to the bone. Or it was nerves. Stilinski sighed and nodded, giving the officer the instruction to make sure Jen was on her way. “Dad, is she gonna be okay?” Stiles cut in. 

They looked back at Lydia, who was connected to an oxygen mask. Natalie Martin was in the room with her, and Jackson stood outside the window. Stilinski sighed again. “They don’t know.” He shook his head softly as he turned back to Nina and Stiles. “Partially because they don’t know what happened. She lost a lot of blood, but…” He glanced down at Nina’s dress, eyeing her warily. “But there’s something else going on with her.”

“What do you mean?”

“The doctors say it’s like she’s having an allergic reaction. Her body keeps going into shock.” Her body was rejecting the bite. Nina’s hand lifted to cover her mouth, both to stifle a sob and to keep herself from throwing up. Knowing that she wouldn’t give anything, Stilinski focused on his son. “Did you see anything? Do you know what happened?”

Stiles glanced at Nina. She couldn’t be his alibi. “No, no, I didn’t.”

“What about Scott?”

“What do you mean? What about him?”

“Did he see anything?” Stilinski repeated. 

Stiles let out a shaky breath. “What do you… is he not here?”

“What are you talking about?” His father demanded. “I’ve been calling him, I’ve gotten no response.”

So Scott was missing as well. Jackson, who had overheard, gave the both of them a discrete shrug. He didn’t know either. 

The officer from before approached with a pile of clothing, white nursing shoes resting on top. “Your mom’s on her way,” She said, handing the clothes to Nina. “She said it’ll be about ten minutes. She’s bringing you your own clothes, but these are better than that dress for now.” The woman offered her an apologetic smile. “I can take you to a private room to change.”

“Get an evidence bag for the dress, too,” Stilinski suggested. 

As Nina was ushered away, anxiety spiked at the prospect of being separated from the only other person who truly knew what had happened. She turned to Stiles with wide eyes, who only stared back at her helplessly as his dad pulled him in the opposite direction.

“Nina, right? I’m Deputy Hernandez.” The officer led her down the hall, gesturing to an empty room. “I’ll be right out here if you need anything. Does that sound okay?”

“Fine.” Nina didn’t look at the woman, instead closing the door in her face.

Peeling the bloody dress off was its own obstacle. She couldn’t reach her zipper, causing her to rip it in frustration rather than ask for help from the nice woman outside. It wasn’t like it was salvageable anyway. Once that was out of the way and in an evidence bag, she shrugged on the dark green zip-up hoodie, gray sweatpants, and the nursing shoes with a pair of socks. Not ready to face anyone yet, she went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. 

Turning on the faucet, she scrubbed the caked blood from her hands. Strands of hair stuck out all over, and as she softly ran her fingers over where Peter had grabbed her, she felt small scabs against her scalp. Not as bad as the wounds Jackson had. Definitely not as bad as Lydia’s. 

Lydia was rejecting the bite. That’s what the allergic reaction and going into shock had to mean, right? She had no idea how long that would take; was it an immediate process? Or would it take a few days? Either way, Lydia was going to die. All because of Peter Hale. All because of the Argents who burnt down the Hale house. 

And she was sitting alone in a hospital room. 

On cue, the door opened a crack, and an arm poked through. It waved around as Stiles loudly whispered, “Hey! Are you still changing?”

Nina sprung from the bathroom and yanked the door open, nearly causing Stiles to fall to the ground. “What happened?” She asked, looking between him and Jackson.

“We have to find Scott. Are you in?”

Watch Lydia die, or make sure no one else did. “Of course I’m in.” She stepped out of the room, peering around to find Hernandez was gone. “Did you get rid of her?” She asked, looking at Stiles.

“Yeah, I told her that your mom’s car wasn’t working and she needed a ride. Uh… sorry.”

For what? Using her mother as a lie? Nina shook her head, dismissing the apology. “Good thinking. Let’s go.”

They started down the hallway, Jackson on their tail. “Where are you going?”

“To find Scott.”

“No — I meant, where exactly are you going,” Jackson huffed. “What are you gonna do, drive around Beacon Hills until you find him? In your shitty ass Jeep?”

“Thanks,” Stiles bit out, continuing forward.

Scoffing, Jackson pushed forward. “Here, I’ll drive. Come on—”

As Jackson reached out to grab Stiles’s shoulder, he slapped it away and turned on Jackson in anger. “Look, just because you feel guilty all of a sudden, doesn’t make it okay, alright? Half of this is still your fault.”

“Is this really the right time?” Nina demanded. “Figure out the division of blame later, right now we need to move.”

Stiles clenched his jaw as he turned to her, nodding and lessening his glare on Jackson. “Fine. Did you bring your Porsche?” Jackson confirmed, lifting his keys, and Stiles grabbed them out of his hand. “Good. I’ll drive.”

Before they could even start to get to the Porsche, they were intercepted by Chris Argent and two hunters that Nina had met, but didn’t bother to remember the names of. “Boys. Nina.” Chris smiled at the three. “I was wondering if you can tell me where Scott McCall is.”

“Haven’t seen him,” Nina replied flatly, glaring at the three hunters.

“Yeah, not since the dance,” Stiles agreed. “Jackson?”

Nina’s jaw clenched as Jackson fumbled. “I… uh…”

“Oh, for the love of God,” Stiles muttered under his breath.

Chris sighed, glancing back at the other hunters. “Let's find some privacy.”

“We don’t know where Scott is,” Nina insisted as the two hunters grabbed Stiles and Jackson. Chris stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder that would read as supportive to any witnesses, but they both knew this was a warning. “That’s what we’re trying to do — find him.”

Chris smiled, keeping his arm around Nina as he led the group down the hall. “You know, Nina, you’re a good liar. That’s a great asset,” He began, speaking to her like an old friend.  “However, it also means that I can’t trust anything you say.” 

“I would say the same thing about you, but you’re a shitty liar.” Chris found an empty storage room, stepping aside with Nina to let the hunters throw the boys inside. “Kate’s better at it, but she gets a bit too smug.”

“I’ll let her know.” He pushed her into the room, following behind and locking the door behind them. “Now, let’s try this again. Where is Scott McCall?”

Stiles pursed his lips. “Have you tried asking your daughter? Y’know, his girlfriend—”

Grabbing Stiles, Chris threw him against the wall. “Let me ask you a question, Stiles. Have you ever seen a rabid dog?”

“No. I could put it on my to-do list if you just let me go.”

“Well, I have,” Chris replied, ignoring the sass. “And the only thing I can compare it to is seeing a friend of mine turn on a full moon. Do you want to know what happened?”

“Not really. No offense to your storytelling skills,” Stiles drawled. 

“He tried to kill me,” Chris continued. “And I was forced to put a bullet in his head. The whole while that he lay there dying, he was still trying to claw his way toward me, still trying to kill me. Like it was the most important thing he could do with his last breath. Can you imagine that?”

“You mean he wasn’t thrilled with you after you shot him in the head?” Nina asked.

Stiles nodded in her direction. “Yeah, it sounds like you should be a bit more selective in—”

Chris slammed him against the wall once more. “Did Scott try to kill you on the full moon? Did you have to lock him up?”

“Yeah, I did!” Stiles revealed. “I had to handcuff him to a radiator. Why? Would you prefer I locked him in the basement and burned the whole house down around him?”

There was a pause as Chris held his finger up, then curled it back into his fist as he turned to the other two hunters and chuckled. “I hate to dispel a popular rumor, Stiles, but we never did that.”

“Oh, Jesus fucking Christ!” Nina ran her hands through her hair as Chris spun around to face her. “I kept quiet before, but come on, can you think about it for more than a second ? A house full of werewolves — what good is that advanced smell and strength for if not to make it out of a burning house?”

“It wasn’t us,” He insisted. “We have a code.”

“And no one ever breaks it?” Stiles challenged. 

“Never.” 

“What if someone does?”

Slowly but surely, Chris was losing his confidence in the Argent moral code. “Someone like who?”

“Your sister.” Stiles’s expression was grim. “My dad got an update on the case earlier. Says there was a key witness who identified a woman with a specific necklace as the orchestrator. She’d be in her late twenties now. Sound like anyone you know?”

A necklace — Nina’s mind went to Allison’s eyesore of a family heirloom, given to her by her aunt. 

After a solid minute of tense silence, Chris let go of Stiles and turned to the hunters. “I’m going to go handle this. Make sure they stay here.”

“You don’t know where Scott is,” Nina objected.

“And you do?” He leveled her with the knowing-parent stare. “Wherever Scott is, I’m sure Kate is too. Tell me, and I’ll make it right. Every second you waste by not telling me ensures that Kate kills him and Derek.”

He was right. Nina looked at Stiles, who gave her one shake of his head. Her mouth fell into a flat line as she turned back to Chris. She had to gamble on if Chris truly cared more about following the code than his psychotic family. “Kate’s keeping Derek at the Hale house. Odds are, Scott’s there as well.” 

Rather than try to guage Nina’s words and body language for any indication that she was lying, Chris turned to Stiles. His betrayed glare gave it away instantly. Chris patted Nina’s shoulder softly, giving her an earnest look. “You’re a good kid, Nina. I’ll make sure Scott’s alright.”

Both hunters blocked the doors once Chris left, leaving the three teenagers barricaded in with them. “What the hell?” Stiles demanded in a whisper to Nina, arms flailing in distress. “How could you just tell him?”

“Now that he knows about Kate, he’s on our side,” She replied. “All he talks about is the code. The fact that Kate broke it just made sure that he’s going to keep her occupied once we get there.”

“And how are we going to do that? We’re stuck here, if you didn’t notice!” His voice rose into a hiss. 

“Really? I had no idea!” Stiles huffed at Nina’s response, and she ignored him to turn to Jackson. “Remember that move you pulled last year that got you suspended for half of the season?”

“When I—”

“Good.” She stopped him from saying it out loud. “Do it when I give the signal.”

He stared at her incredulously. “Are you insane?” He joined the whisper-yelling. “On those two?”

“What, are you not strong enough?” She asked innocently, tilting her head to the side. “Stiles, talk to them. Get them distracted.”

Stiles’s jaw dropped slightly as he glanced between Nina and the two hunters. Luckily, he complied, and Nina retreated further back into the storage room. Extra syringes, needles, and bottles of various sedatives. She could hear Stiles still rambling as she prepped two syringes. One of the hunters was wearing a jacket, but the other was just in a short-sleeved shirt. He would be easier to get to first. 

“Jackson?” Nina joined the rest of the class, getting the attention of everyone. “Leather jacket.”

Jackson sighed and slammed the palm of his hand into the hunter’s nose, sending the room into a frenzy. Stiles jumped out of the way as the hunter Jackson hit fell against the door, the back of his head connecting with the door hinge, causing him to crumple to the ground. The other hunter grabbed Jackson, and Nina took a moment to find the vein before jamming the needle into the crook of his elbow. Jackson helped grapple the man, keeping him from grabbing the needle as Nina pushed the syringe down. 

“You… fucking bitch…” 

It took a few seconds for him to fall limp in Jackson’s grasp, and Jackson lowered him to the floor. She instructed him to take the jacket off of the other hunter, and stuck the other needle into his arm. 

“They’ll be out for a few minutes,” Nina explained. She took a gun from the one in the jacket, making sure the safety was on before checking to see how many bullets were loaded. “Can either of you shoot a gun?”

“Can you ?” Jackson demanded, his voice rising in panic.

“Technically, yes. I know how . But I haven’t actually done it in nearly a decade, so my aim will be off. That’s why I’m asking you.”

Stiles ran his hands over his head. “God, I’m learning more about you in one night than I ever wanted to.”

“Aw, we’re bonding,” Nina replied sarcastically. She stole the holster for the gun along with an extra magazine, clipping it around her waist. Even if she didn’t shoot, she could bluff. “You both need something to protect yourselves. Any ideas?”

Both boys stared at her blankly. Jackson jerked, eyes widening in realization. “The Molotov cocktails!”

“Hey, Bud, I don’t know if you remember, but that didn’t work out so great last time!” Stiles hissed. 

“That’s because I fucked up the directions. I know them now.” 

Stiles and Nina shared a shocked look at that — Jackson admitted he was wrong about something? That shock only increased as Jackson rattled off the instructions. “That’s right,” Nina said in awe. 

Jackson rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Yeah, I know that.” There was Lydia’s special guy. That helped Nina and Stiles get over their shock and move into action. She restrained the hunters as Jackson got started on the cocktails with Stiles. 

Once those were done, the three left the storage room, Jackson on lookout duty as Nina wrapped the door handles in approximately ten layers of gauze. It didn’t take long to get down to the parking garage, where they were stopped by Will.

“Hey, guys!” He was deceptively jovial as he leaned against the hood of their mother’s car, still dressed in his tux from the dance. “Going somewhere? Mum’s looking for you, Nini.”

Nina sighed. They just couldn’t catch a break, could they? “Let us go. I don’t have time to argue with you.”

“And let you almost get killed again? I—” He glanced down, his brow furrowing. “Why do you have a gun?”

Nina pursed her lips, squaring her shoulders and leveling her brother with a blank stare. “The murderer is Peter Hale. He’s out of his coma. His nurse helped him cover it up and he killed her. Kate Argent started the Hale fire six years ago and Peter’s getting revenge. He kidnapped Stiles and me after attacking Lydia on the field. We got away, Chris knows what Kate did and is going to stop her from killing Peter and Derek, who she kidnapped. Scott went to find Derek and he and Allison are going to be caught in the crossfire. We’re going to get them out of there. Any questions?”

“Are you serious?” Stiles demanded harshly. “You’ve been keeping all of these secrets for the entire year and now you can’t keep it in? You might as well just—” He squeaked in pain as Nina elbowed him in the side. 

Once he decided that Nina was telling the truth, Will paused to fully digest the information. “Why do you have to go? Why can’t the police?” He asked.

Nina snorted. “You trust the police now?”

“More than I trust you!” Ouch. “Come on , Nini, you’re working with Stilinski and Jackson . How am I supposed to trust your judgement?”

Stiles and Jackson both erupted in protest, but Nina only sighed. “I’m calling Cardiff.”

Will paused, annoyance and doubt flickering over his face. “Seriously? How is this similar in any way?”

Nina shrugged. Cardiff was their ‘no questions asked’ policy. It had started when Will got arrested in Cardiff, and needed to be bailed out without anyone knowing. Nina hadn’t asked any questions at that moment, but two days later, Will explained what had happened, and it never got out to anyone else. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and find out. Forty-eight hours. I’ll tell you everything and give proof for all of it.”

“Nina, you can’t—”

“Twenty-four hours. And you do the dishes when it’s my turn for a month.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Thirty-six and two. Three, if you do me another favor.”

They both knew this wasn’t like Cardiff. It wasn’t about the time frame, or chores. It was about trust. And even if he said otherwise, Nina knew that Will trusted her. He didn’t have to be happy about it, but he did. “What favor?”

~~~

As Stiles sped through the Preserve to the Hale house, Nina sat in the passenger seat while Jackson was forced to sit in the back of his own car. 

Stiles ran over a large branch, causing all three to bounce in their seats. “Hey, this isn’t exactly an all-terrain vehicle!” Jackson hissed, leaning in to glare at Stiles.

“Yeah? Did you pay for it?”

“… No.” 

“Then shut up.” Jackson fell back into his seat with a scoff as Stiles kept driving. Stiles glanced over at Nina, who was holding the gun like a comfort toy. She’d been checking and re-checking that it was loaded every five seconds. “So, Will is going to delete the footage at the hospital? Even of the Argents?”

“He’s going to wipe it from the hospital systems, but he’s going to keep his own copy as insurance,” She explained. “The Argents aren’t going to be happy that we managed to take out two of their strongest, but getting rid of the footage of them kidnapping us will serve as an olive branch of sorts. As of right now, Chris is on our side. I’d like to keep it that way after this is over, if possible.”

“By blackmailing them,” Stiles supplied. 

“It’s not blackmail if they don’t know it exists.”

“I don’t know if California law would agree.”

“Yes, because everything you’ve done this semester upholds the law.”

“Can you both shut up?” Jackson snapped. “We’re about to throw Molotov cocktails at a werewolf . We might die , and you’re worried about the law on blackmail?” Nina and Stiles both fell silent. They might die. After a moment of no one speaking, Jackson sighed. “She’s right, though. It isn’t blackmail if the other party hasn’t been informed of the potential incriminating material. The most illegal thing in this whole scenario would be erasing the hospital’s camera footage.”

Nina settled into her seat. The confrontation of her own mortality for, what, the third time in the past three months outweighed the smugness of knowing she was right in a petty argument. She checked the magazine again.

The sight that greeted them once they pulled up to the Hale house nearly convinced Nina that she was hallucinating again. “Does Scott get that big?” She asked, her voice coming out in a squeak as she stared at who — what — she assumed to be Peter in werewolf form. She’d seen him like that twice now; once at the school, once at the library. Both times, he couldn’t have been taller than seven feet. Now, it was closer to ten.

“Uh… not to my knowledge.”

Fantastic. 

The following events felt like a blur. They all scrambled out of the car, and Stiles threw the first Molotov cocktail. Peter caught it, and Nina aimed the gun at the beaker. 

“Don’t lock your elbows.”

“It’s heavy.” Locking her elbows was the only way for eight-year-old Nina to keep the gun up. 

“That’s why we’re practicing.” Her uncle put his cigarette out and held up his own gun with one hand, shooting at the wall three times before turning to her. “Once you get used to it, you’ll be able to do that. For now, use both hands. Inhale, exhale, shoot.”

Peter’s shoulder jerked back on impact — the opposite shoulder of the arm holding the beaker, so she knew that her landing the shot on anything was pure luck. Her ears rang and her arms ached, fingers buzzing. She’d almost dropped it from the recoil. Peter’s eyes were now on her, and she fired another shot on instinct, missing completely. He lifted the beaker, but before he could throw it at her, an arrow broke through the cocktail. Now distracted by his arm being lit on fire, Peter couldn’t notice Jackson throw the second beaker. 

As Peter was fully ablaze, Nina couldn’t help but wonder if it transported him back to the memory of the Hale fire six years prior. To be burned alive twice in a lifetime… she pitied him. It didn’t take long for the flame to go out, Peter laying against the dirt, once again set on fire by an Argent. If you counted Allison shooting the beaker as being the final action that did it. 

Silence washed over everyone. Nina peered around, making eye contact with Allison. The two girls gave each other a nod. Chris slowly stood, Kate nowhere to be found. Did Peter get his retribution?

“Wait!” As Scott ran over to Derek, who now stood over Peter’s dying body, Nina realized this wasn’t over quite yet. “You said the cure comes from the one who bit you. If you do this, I’m dead. Her father, her family… what am I supposed to do?”

Derek didn’t look at Scott. The internal debate lasted approximately ten seconds, and he lifted his hand, slicing his claws through Peter’s throat over Scott’s shouts of protest. Then, he slowly stood, and the same bright red eyes shone across the front yard of the Hale house. 

~~~

Allison and Nina stood side by side, watching Lydia’s chest rise and fall with the aid of the oxygen machine. “When did you find out?” Allison asked, her arms folded over her chest.

Nina reached up and scratched the nape of her neck. It still itched where Peter had grabbed her, but she was sure it was just psychosomatic. “The night after we were attacked at the school. Peter came after me at the library. He was still weak enough that I managed to fight him off temporarily, but he wasn’t really trying at that point. Chris happened to be in the area, and told me once he knew I wasn’t buying whatever excuses he came up with. You?”

Allison let out a shaky breath. “Kate showed me where she was… torturing… Derek. She’d been hinting at it all for a while, but I was too stupid—”

“Too stupid to believe in werewolves ?” Nina tested, her brow raising. “If that means you’re stupid, it means I’m stupid, and I simply won’t let you talk about me like that.”

Her flat tone caused Allison to turn to her, eventually laughing. “You’re right, sorry.”

“You should be, it’s rude.”

Biting back another laugh, Allison looked back at Lydia. Bruises lined her arms, and she was hooked to an IV and other various monitoring machines. “She won’t believe us. I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. How did Will take it?”

Earlier that morning, Nina had recruited Scott to help explain everything that really happened. Will, understandably, thought that it was some weird joke until Scott transformed. Then he just thought that he had been drugged. It was only the combination of everything; the facts of the case, what did and didn’t add up, and Scott’s weird, semi-transformed face and claws, that finally forced him to confront the reality of Beacon Hills. 

Well, she assumed it forced him to do so. Once Scott proved the existence of werewolves, Will stared blankly at the wall for a solid minute before leaving. She hadn’t heard anything from him since, but that didn’t surprise her. 

“About as well as he could have,” She answered. “About as well as anyone could.”

Allison only nodded in response. After a moment, she dropped her arms to her sides, taking Nina’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. 

Peter and Kate were dead. Lydia was stable. Will knew everything. 

They would be okay.

Chapter Text

The group outside of Lydia’s hospital room dwindled slowly. First, the sheriff, off to investigate a crime scene he wouldn't understand. Allison’s family was next, needing time to prepare for Kate’s funeral and the press that would come with it. Jen and Will only allowed Nina to stay because they knew she would be a menace at home otherwise. Jackson hadn’t shown up to begin with. That left Nina, Stiles, Scott, Allison, and every nurse, doctor, and patient passing through the waiting room at all hours as the four argued in hushed tones.

“No way, are you insane?” Everyone shushed Stiles, causing him to scowl and lean further in. “Are you insane?” He repeated in a whisper. “This is crazy, she almost died.”

“So did we,” Allison argued softly. “My dad thought it would protect me if I didn’t know, and he was wrong. If Lydia knows what was really going on, she can protect herself in the future.”

“But she won’t have to protect herself in the future, right?” Scott glanced over the group. “Peter’s dead. It’s over.”

“For now.” Everyone turned to Nina. “Peter wasn’t the only bad werewolf, and Kate wasn’t the only bad hunter.” At the mention of her aunt, Scott reached for Allison’s hand and squeezed it. “Just because they’re dead doesn’t mean we’re in the clear. Not to mention the fact that she’s a werewolf now. What exactly is the plan with that if we don’t tell her? Let the Argents get to her first? No offense, Allison.”

Allison sighed. “None taken.”

Stiles’s lips formed a thin line as he shook his head. “What if it’s too much for her?”

“Too much for Lydia ?” Nina countered.

“She might not even remember what happened when she wakes up! I don’t think surrounding her hospital bed and shouting ‘surprise, monsters exist, you were almost murdered by one and now you are one’ is the best course of action!”

“So, what, we coddle her? She isn’t a child.” They all were, technically, but Nina could feel Allison changing sides. 

“We can still tell her,” Allison suggested. “Just later. Once she recovers and starts showing signs of changing.”

“We don’t know how long that will take. She deserves to know.” Nina urged. 

“And she will,” Scott agreed. “Lydia doesn’t deserve to be lied to, but she also doesn’t deserve to be thrown into it like we were. We can tell her everything, together, once she recovers and settles down. I think that’s fair.”

When no one else objected, Nina knew she was overpowered. Everyone was too hopeful to be done with the recent trauma to confront the real possibility that they may not have time to let Lydia fully heal. Or, maybe, Nina was too afraid of the possibility of more danger to let herself relax. She sighed and nodded. “Fine.” She grabbed her bag and stood, leaving the waiting room to go back to sit outside of Lydia's room.

Eventually, Stiles joined her. Allison and Scott left; most likely to discuss where they stood. He tried to talk to her periodically, about werewolves, or movies, or movies about werewolves, each time met with frustrated silence or a one-word answer that even he couldn’t go off of. 

After a whole day of trying, Stiles only became more motivated. “Do you think Lydia would ever be interested in me? Honestly.”

“No.” She felt a twinge of guilt as he deflated at her harsh tone. Normally that would be the end of the conversation for any boy that asked about his chances with Lydia, but after everything they’d been through together, maybe she could elaborate. Even if she was still annoyed with him. “Lydia isn't interested in anyone. She didn't start dating Jackson because she liked him. No one likes Jackson.” Except Danny, but she was still partially convinced that it was charity work.

“Then why did she start dating him?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I bet you don’t know why, either. You don’t even know how smart she is.”

Nina turned on him, her eyes wide. He did not just say what she thought he did. “What are you talking about?”

“Exactly!” His arms flailed out to emphasize the point he was trying to make. “She’s a genius, for your information. You try so hard to be the smartest person in the room that you don’t realize—”

“ Everyone knows how smart Lydia is, you idiot!” She could hit him. She could hit him, and no one could blame her. “It’s not a secret! Even Jackson knows!”

He stared at her incredulously. “Then why does she pretend to be an idiot around him?”

“Maybe you’ll find out once you decide to treat her like a human being.” Normally, she’d leave it at that, but he’d effectively pissed her off. “God, at least Jackson is an ass upfront. You’re just like every other idiot who thinks if he stalks someone long enough, she’ll magically owe him the time of day. And even if she did, somehow, owe you for having a crush on her, she wouldn’t care. Lydia doesn’t want a boyfriend. She wants a purse with a nice ass.” To punctuate her point, she fell back into her chair, scowling at the wall ahead. 

That earned her a solid ten seconds of silence. Just when she thought he’d finally given up, he spoke up once more. “Do I have a nice ass?”

“Oh my god—”

“I’m being serious!” Stiles persisted as Nina dropped her head into her hands. “Just be honest, is it nice? I think yours is—” He stopped at the sight of Nina’s glare, but only rerouted the conversation. “Jesus, I’m glad you’re not a werewolf. You’d be even more scary than you already are. Now I know why you and Danny get along. He stonewalled me too when I asked him if gay guys find me attractive.”

“What?” The statement caught her off guard, and she was unable to suppress the lifting of the corners of her lips. “Why would you ask him that?”

“I don’t remember, it was a stressful day — don’t laugh at me, I’m miserable here.”

The combination of the past week’s stress, lack of sleep, and pure absurdity of the conversation made it impossible for Nina to stop the giggles that began to escape her. “I’m sorry.”

Eventually, his own frown cracked into a small smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you express an emotion other than annoyance.”

“You’ve never tried to talk to me about anything other than Lydia,” Nina retorted with a scoff.

~~~

It was nearly three in the afternoon, and Stiles was asleep, starfishing in the chair next to Nina. She was working on assignments on her laptop when her mother approached from down the hall, carrying a brown paper bag with the logo of the diner down the street. 

Nina stood, meeting her mother halfway. Jen smiled softly and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “Hi, Darling. How’s Lydia?”

“Awake. Stable. Her parents were allowed to see her this morning.”

Jen sighed in relief. “Oh, good.” She held out the paper bags. “I got you your friend some food, since you said he’s been here all weekend as well. I’m here to bring you home.”

Nina shook her head. “Mum, I—”

“This isn’t a negotiation. You’re going to have dinner at home, and get a shower. No offense, Darling, but you need one.” She lifted a strand of Nina’s hair. She’d had one at the hospital when she was getting her own injuries inspected, but it had been a few days. Realistically, she could survive another night without a shower, but she was pushing it. 

Jen had never been the best at putting her foot down. Her children had never been the best at listening. “I just want the chance to talk to Lydia, and then I’ll call you to come get me. Is that alright?”

Her mother’s lips pursed. “It’s not. Nina, I’m worried about Lydia as well, but you’ve been here all weekend. Have you slept?”

“Yes, I have.”

“And now you’re lying to me.”

“My best friend nearly died—”

“ You nearly died!” Nina paused as her mother’s voice rose. “You’ve been here for the past two days, Will’s barely spoken a word, and Isaac—” Jen stopped herself, closing her eyes as she let out another sigh.

“Isaac?” Nina’s shoulders tensed. “What’s wrong with Isaac?” There was nothing she could do about Will. He’d told her to leave him be while he handled the news of werewolves in his own time. But if something was wrong with Isaac…

Her mother’s voice was almost robotic. Usually she was better at hiding the rehearsed phrase. “He had an accident while practicing lacrosse at home. He’s at the flat right now.”

Nina froze. “Alright.” She glanced back at Stiles, who was still asleep. “Right. I’ll…”

The door to Lydia’s room opened, causing Nina to flinch as Melissa exited the room. “Nina, perfect.” Melissa gave her a warm smile and greeted Jen. “Lydia wanted to see you. Technically, only her family should be permitted in, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt since you’ve been out here so long.”

She swallowed, looking at her mother. Jen gave her a tight smile. “I’ll get your things ready. Tell her I say hi.”

All weekend, Nina had been waiting for Lydia to be cleared for company. She hadn’t left in two days at risk of missing the chance to talk to her. But now… now she was a werewolf. Supposedly. It was taking too long for her to heal, but according to Scott, it was either werewolf or death. Scott had also said that wounds from an alpha take longer to heal, which was the point Nina stopped asking questions out of pure frustration. 

Despite the lack of doctors and nurses screaming and running out of the room, Nina was partially expecting golden eyes and fangs when she saw Lydia. Instead, all that met her was sallow skin and dark circles underneath her eyes. Lydia’s shoulders dropped, releasing some of her tension. “Hi, Nini.” Her voice was still pretty weak. 

Nina smiled, sitting on the edge of her bed. “How are you feeling?”

Her eyes locked on Nina’s neck, which was still bruised from where Peter grabbed her. “You were there.” When Nina nodded, Lydia’s brow furrowed. “What happened?”

There wasn’t much Nina could say. Instead, she lied and deflected. If Lydia picked up on it, she didn’t act like it. The only thing that gave her pause was when Nina mentioned Jackson also being on the field. She almost didn’t want to tell her that Jackson hadn’t shown up to the hospital once. 

When she exited Lydia’s room, Jen was nowhere to be seen, and Stiles was awake, eating the food Jen had brought for him. “How’s Lydia?” He asked, mouth full as he straightened. 

“About as mentally and physically stable as she could be, all things considered. Pretty much no memory regarding the attack.”

Stiles paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded her with slight suspicion. “What did you say?” She knew why he was skeptical.

Nina rolled her eyes as she folded her arms over her chest. “What we all agreed on. As far as she knows, we were all left on the field. I told her I didn’t remember much of it after Peter attacked me.” Stiles didn’t seem convinced, but that didn’t matter to her. “Where’s my mum?” 

“Mr. Argent showed up, and they went to the cafeteria to talk.”

She nodded. “Give me your phone.”

Though the sudden change in subject threw him off guard, Stiles complied. “Why?”

“I’m going home. Text me if anything happens. I’ll have Allison get Chris out of here before he tries to interrogate either of you.” Chris shouldn’t be allowed in to see Lydia at all, but as much as she respected Melissa for it, she didn’t trust her to follow the rules. Nina finished typing her phone number in and sent herself a text, handing it back to Stiles. 

“You’re leaving?” He sounded like it was some betrayal.

“I wouldn’t if it weren’t important.” Draping her coat over one arm, Nina shouldered her bag and paused, trying to figure out if it would be more awkward to say goodbye or to leave without it. “Uh… try not to get kidnapped again.” She grimaced.

Stiles deadpanned. “Thanks, you too.” 

As she walked down to the cafeteria, Nina sent a quick text to Allison about her father. She immediately got a response saying “on it.”  

~~~

The inside of the car was silent as Jen drove and Nina sat in the passenger seat. She’d been white-knuckling the steering wheel the entire time, staring blankly ahead. When it became clear that her mother wouldn’t start the conversation on her own, Nina reached out and turned the radio on. 

Jen pursed her lips and turned it off. “I told you to stay out of all of this.”

Nina’s brow furrowed as she tensed. “So it’s my fault I was kidnapped?”

A sharp intake of breath came from her mother as her expression soured. “Of course not. But god, Nina, you can’t actually think I have no idea that you’ve been running around for months while there was a killer on the loose! It’s like you wanted to run into him.”

“So you do think it’s my fault.”

“I just wish that you’d practiced some common sense! Or some survival instinct, at least. It would be different if he were just a serial killer.”

Just a serial killer? Nina’s eyes narrowed on her mother. “What else would he be?” Did she know? 

Jen’s lips formed a thin line as she sighed. “I’m sure you know you’re still grounded. Deaton knows you won’t be going into work for at least the next week.”

Pressing the matter wouldn’t do anything. Nina’s stubbornness was genetic. She needed a new approach. “What were you talking to Chris about?” When she’d found the two, Chris was already on his way out, talking to Allison over the phone. 

“I was giving my condolences.”

“For a murderer.”

“For a family member.”

“Who locked innocent people and children in their home and burned it down around them.”

“That’s what I was giving my condolences for.” Jen sighed and glanced over at Nina, her expression softening. “It’s hard, learning someone you cared about was capable of doing something that horrible. Just because they were a bad person, doesn’t mean you automatically stop mourning. The opposite can also be true. Grief isn’t rational.”

Her mother sounded way more emotionally invested in this lesson than anything else she had tried to teach the twins. Usually, there was some level of detachment. That wasn’t present in her tone. “Are you speaking from personal experience?”

“Just try to imagine what Allison must be going through,” Jen continued, ignoring her daughter’s question. “Kate was someone she trusted and looked up to. To learn the truth about what she did, and then for her to be murdered that same night, in front of her … it’s a lot for anyone, let alone someone your age. I never want you or Will to go through that.”

Definitely personal experience. Nina stared at her mother, but she offered nothing else. The rest of the drive was silent.

~~~

As soon as she walked in the front door, Nina was greeted by Isaac sitting alone in the living room, watching TV while holding an ice pack over his eye. He gave her and Jen an awkward smile. Jen immediately went down the hall, returning with her arms folded over her chest. “Where’s Will?”

Isaac debated keeping silent, but the look on Jen’s face caused him to cave immediately. “He said he needed some air and went on a walk a little after you left.”

“Oh,  Jesus  Christ— five minutes! Five minutes, is all I ask for you both to stay put . I’ll be back.” Jen huffed and retrieved her discarded coat and keys, leaving as soon as they had entered.

Awkward silence settled over the two, only broken by both simultaneously blurting out an “I’m sorry.”

“What?” Nina’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What could you possibly be sorry about? You didn’t do anything.”

Isaac gaped. “I made you leave—”

“The only person who made me leave the gym was the asshole who spilled vodka punch all over me, and even then, he isn’t the one who kidnapped me.”

He seemed unconvinced, but conceded. “Then what are you sorry about?”

Nina’s eyes downcast as her grip on the strap of her bag tightened. “Leaving.”

Isaac rolled his eyes. “Of course, since I’m not allowed to be sorry for you being kidnapped, you should be. That makes perfect sense.”

She folded her arms over her chest, her lips pursed as she stared at Isaac. He’d lowered the ice pack, leaving his black eye in all its glory. “We can still tell someone.”

“No.” Isaac looked everywhere but at her, mimicking her body language. “It looks worse than it is, I promise. And I provoked him—”

“What could you have possibly done to deserve a black eye?” Isaac opened his mouth to answer, but Nina stopped him. “The answer is nothing, Isaac. You have never deserved what he’s done to you. We can help. I can help—”

“How are you still trying to protect me after you were kidnapped ? Look at you!” He let out a strangled sigh, running his hands through his hair. “It’s just another year and a half. Once I’m eighteen, I can leave. If you tell someone, what happens? He gets arrested, I get sent away to my nearest family in Ohio . Or, the investigation finds nothing, and he has something else to hold against me. It’s not worth it.”

“We have a good lawyer. We can help you file for emancipation—”

“My answer is no.” Nina flinched as Isaac reached out to her, and his hand dropped. “I don’t want you to worry about me anymore.”

Nina couldn’t help but snort. “Good luck with that.” 

Isaac’s eyes trailed town to the bruises on Nina’s neck, and she adjusted her coat to cover them. “I’m fine.” 

Closing his eyes, Isaac let out a strangled laugh. “God, you’re such a hypocrite.”

Nina didn’t respond. He was right, after all.

~~~

When Jen came back with Will, he barely glanced at Nina as he silently returned to his room. Isaac followed, leaving Nina to be doted on — or smothered, rather — by her mother. It was hours of adding pillows and blankets, pushing food, water, and pain meds on her, asking if she was sure she didn’t need anything else. She wanted to scream by the tenth time Jen softly knocked on her bedroom door and opened it. “Darling, I’m bringing Isaac to work. I’ll be back in about half an hour. Do you need anything?”

Nina sighed and stared up at the ceiling. “No, I’m alright.” 

Silence followed for a moment. “Alright. It’s getting late, so try to get some rest.” 

It took a lot to not point out the fact that she wouldn’t be able to get any rest if Jen kept bothering her. “‘Kay.”

Jen left without another word. 

Nina didn’t know how long she’d been laying in her dark room when her phone chimed. As soon as she saw the message, she shot up in her bed. 

Stiles: Lydia’s gone.

In the same breath, Allison’s caller-ID lit up the screen. “My dad just ran out of the house and a bunch of SUVs are leaving, did something happen?”

“I’m on my way to the hospital, can you sneak out? I’ll pick you up on the way.” Nina threw a sweater over her t-shirt, not bothering to change out of her sweatpants as she grabbed her keys and ran out to the front door. 

Before she could leave, however, Will was exiting the kitchen. They both paused, staring at the other hesitantly. “Lydia’s missing,” Nina said quickly. “I need to go find her.”

Slowly, Will pursed his lips. “Is she… turning?” He grimaced at the question.

“We don’t know. Probably. Most likely.”

Will closed his eyes and exhaled. “I’ll cover for you. Just… make sure she’s okay.”

Gripping her keys, Nina nodded. “I will.”

Chapter Text

Nina swerved into the parking lot, right next to the passenger side Stiles’s Jeep. Scott and Stiles sat in the front, Scott holding a bundle of fabric to his nose. The window rolled down as Nina approached and Allison approached, the two boys staring at them. “What are you doing here? Someone’s gonna see us!”

“I don’t care,” Allison said, approaching the window. “She’s my best friend. We need to find her before they do.”

Nina's face pinched in distaste as she looked down at the hospital gown Scott had been sniffing. “And, no offense, I’m not exactly confident in your abilities by yourself.”

“I’m here, too!” Stiles protested.

“You were included,” She replied flatly. Stiles’s shoulders fell, letting out a small “Oh.”

Scott sighed. “I can find her before the cops can.”

“How about before my father does?” She countered.

“He knows?” Stiles demanded.

Nina stared at him incredulously. “The Argents have been watching the hospital all weekend. You seriously didn’t notice?”

Before he could respond, Allison continued. “I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUVs.”

“A search party.”

“More like a hunting party.”

Nina shifted, growing antsy as the boys kept holding off. “Do we really have time for this? Code or not, Lydia is in danger if Allison’s family finds her first.” If the Argents found Lydia first, even if she wasn't killed, Nina wasn’t hopeful they would be gentle. 

After a moment, Scott nodded. “Get in.”

Nina flung the back door open and both girls climbed into the Jeep, Stiles pulling out of the parking lot. “Okay, if she’s turning, would they actually kill her?” He asked, glancing back at Allison.

“I don’t know, they won’t tell me anything.” Allison and Nina had texted periodically over the past few days. Despite Allison expecting less secrets once she found out about her family, it seemed like they were keeping even more from her. “All they say is, “We’ll talk after Kate’s funeral, when the others get here. ’”

“What others ?” Stiles demanded.

“I don’t know! They won’t tell me that, either.”

Nina let out a tired sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “If I had to hazard a guess, I would assume he means other hunters . Can we please use context clues?”

She could see Stiles roll his eyes in the rearview mirror. “Scott, are we going the right way?”

They all turned to see Scott with his head hanging out of the window, like a dog. “Take the next right!” The sight physically pained Nina. When did this become her life?

“Are you okay?” Nina looked at Allison, her friend staring at her with concern as she spoke softly. “How are your migraines?”

Nina opened her mouth to give the typical “fine, don’t worry” answer, but gave pause when she realized she was actually fine. Tired and sore, sure, but there were no symptoms of a migraine since the formal.

~~~

The apprehension in the air was palpable as the four neared the Hale house. Leading up to it, the woods had been full of regular animal noises — animals scurrying through leaves, owls hooting, branches creaking, but once the decrepit house was in view, the only sounds were of the teens’ own footsteps. And voices.

Stiles was at the head of the group as Nina was a few steps to the side, Allison and Scott trailing behind them. “She came here?” Stiles asked, turning back to Scott. “You sure?”

“Yeah, this is where the scent leads.”

With a sigh, they continued. Until Stiles stopped again. “All right, but has Lydia ever been here?”

Nina rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah, this is one of her favorite places to visit, right after cemeteries and abandoned psych wards.”

Stiles gave her a withering look as he started walking once more. “Are you always this helpful?” 

“Do you always ask stupid questions?” 

“You know what? I—” Before he could take another step forward, Nina grabbed his shoulder. “What?”

“Look down.”

Pulling his shoulder away, Stiles decided to humor her. “Be more vague, why don’t you?” He made a large show of doing as she asked, only stopping the dramatics when he finally saw the line of wire a few centimeters off of the ground. “How did you see that?”

“How’s that for helpful?” Nina gave him a small smirk before kneeling down to get a better look at the wire.

She could practically hear him roll his eyes. “Jesus, you’re even more annoying when you’re smug.” He knelt down next to her, running his finger over the wire. “Is it a tripwire?”

“It looks like it.” Nina followed the wire, trying to find what it connected to. 

Before she could, however, a loud click sounded and she and Allison watched as Scott flipped upside down and was hoisted above the ground by his ankles. Nina’s gaze shot to Stiles, who was completely unaware.

“Hey, Stiles?” Scott said, his voice strained.

“Yeah, buddy?” Stiles spun around, his face falling as he saw Scott’s new position. 

“Next time you find a tripwire, maybe don’t trip it.”

Stiles nodded and sighed. “Yeah, noted.”

Before they could move to help Scott down, he held his hand out. “Stop! Someone’s coming. Hide!”

All three turned and scurried down the hill, huddling together behind a large bush. In the distance, they could hear leaves crunching underneath multiple sets of footsteps. Stiles shifted, beginning to lift himself up to get a better look before Nina and Allison both grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back down. 

“Scott?” A deep voice sounded, and Allison tensed.

“Mister Argent.”

Nina lifted her index finger to her lips as Chris and Scott continued to talk, reaching into her bag and pulling out a pistol. Stiles and Allison both stared at her in shock.

“ You are not going to shoot my dad! ” Allison hissed angrily.

“Of course not, it isn't loaded.” Nina emptied the magazine to prove it. “It’s just a bluff, if necessary.” And with the way Chris said Lydia’s name as he and Scott spoke, calling her a special circumstance and threatening to slice Scott in half in the same breath — Nina felt it might be necessary. 

Stiles swallowed, eyeing the gun uneasily. “Somehow, that’s less comforting. No offense, Allison.” 

“None taken,” Allison sighed. 

Once Chris and his crew of hunters finally left, Allison, Stiles, and Nina were able to come out of hiding. “Are you okay?” Allison and Stiles rushed to Scott’s side as Nina looked for the wire.

“Oh, yeah, just another life-threatening conversation with your da—” Nina used her pocket-knife to cut the wire, and Scott fell to the ground. “Thanks, Nina,” He groaned, his face still in the leaves.

She shoved the knife back in her pocket and walked past them. “Happy to help. Let’s go.”

~~~

It wasn’t until three in the morning that Nina came back home. She was exhausted, angry, and feeling hopeless after searching all night. It took effort to not slam the door behind her in frustration. 

“Any leads?” Will was waiting for her on the couch, a book set aside as she took off her shoes. 

Nina sighed and sat down next to him. “None. She disappeared completely. I’m going out again tomorrow morning, if you’d like to join.” Their university had a week off, meaning the twins had their mornings completely free. 

He shook his head. “I’ll be more useful tapping into police radios. And to be honest, the idea of spending any amount of time in the woods wasn’t exactly appealing to me before learning about everything.”

Nina couldn’t help but snort. “That’s fair.”

For a moment, Will stared off into space, his brow furrowed. “Isaac was supposed to come back home tonight. Then he texted and said he needed to go back to his dad’s.”

Nina straightened. “He didn’t call?” 

“He did after mum threatened to call the police. Something happened at the cemetery while he was working.”

“We didn’t go to the cemetery.”

“Did Lydia?”

It was possible. Nina rubbed underneath her eyes. “Did Isaac give any details?”

Will shook his head. “He just said he had stuff to think about and that he would talk to us at school.”

Fantastic. Lydia was missing, and Isaac was distancing himself. Everything was supposed to be over after Peter and Kate died. Now it just felt like it was just getting started.

~~~

It was the end of the school day, and Nina was at Allison’s locker. Her brow furrowed as Allison pulled a note out of the locker, a small smile adorning the girl’s face. Peeking over her shoulder, she was able to make out the words ‘because I love you’ in Scott’s handwriting. “Ugh. You’re disgusting.” 

Allison rolled her eyes, still unable to hide the smile as she kept her voice low. “Don’t talk about it out loud. We’re keeping it a secret.”

“It’s insulting that you think I would be the one to let anything slip.” Still, Nina also kept her voice quiet. 

Shaking her head, Allison pulled out her dress for the funeral. It was right after school, so she would have to change on campus. Nina thought it was poor planning on the Argents’ part, but Allison did have the option to leave early if she wanted. If anything, her parents probably preferred her home than at school. 

Allison put the note back in her locker and closed the door, a boy a few lockers down speaking up. “Nice dress.”

Nina’s upper lip curled slightly. Who the hell was he? “It’s wrapped in plastic, you can hardly see it.”

Allison smacked her arm. “Sorry about her, she’s… I like your camera.”

It looked expensive. Nina folded her arms over her chest as the boy chuckled. “Thanks. And don’t worry about it, I know Nina has a reputation for being protective.”

“I would call it being a bitch.” She glared at the boy she still didn’t know the name of. It was rare for Nina to interact with someone she didn’t know. After the past few weeks, it freaked her out more than she cared to admit.

The boy laughed again, annoying her further. “You said it, not me. I’ll see you around.” The latter statement was directed at Allison before he walked away, leaving the two girls alone. 

Once he was out of earshot, Allison stared at Nina in shock. “What the hell was that about?”

Nina huffed, her arms tightening around herself. “I know, I don’t get how some people—”

“Not him, Nina, you! All he did was give a compliment!”

“Exactly! Totally out of nowhere! Who does that?”

“Everyone! Lydia’s first words to me were complimenting my outfit.”

“And you think Lydia’s an accurate marker for normal social behavior? Should I remind you about the incident in Finstock's office?”

Allison paused, letting out a tired sigh. “Don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid?”

Before Nina could reply, she and Allison overheard two girls on the other side of the hall. “... Not her sister, her aunt. The one who murdered all those people.”

“You mean the crazy bitch behind the fire and the animal attacks?”

“Yeah, it was all her. I heard that being a psycho is genetic.”

“Hey!” Nina straightened and approached the two girls, whose smug grins fell. “Rachel, right?” 

The girl who initiated the conversation eyed Nina warily. “Uh, yeah.”

“Your father was kicked out for cheating on your mom with his twenty-year-old secretary, right?” Rachel’s face fell further and she swallowed. “You should be careful, I heard getting cheated on is genetic. And isn’t your boyfriend spending a lot of alone time with his lab partner in chemistry? Sarah Palmer?” Rachel’s head shot to the other girl, whose eyes widened. Nina looked her up and down solemnly. “Oh, that’s you, isn’t it? Nice hickey.”

Sarah gaped at her friend. “It just happened!”

Nina was surprised at how well that worked. It was a total lie. As the two girls began loudly arguing with one another, Nina turned back to Allison to find her already gone. 

Letting out a slow exhale, Nina went to her own locker. On her way, Isaac fell into step with her. “How do you do that?”

“Throw out wild accusations and hope one sticks. Though I don’t recommend it, it can just get you in trouble if you’re not careful.”

“I meant sticking up for yourself. And other people.” Isaac’s hands were shoved in his pockets, shoulders hunched to make himself smaller. Being over six feet tall didn’t help his efforts. 

Nina snorted and opened her locker, putting her things away. “I would hardly call accusing someone of being cheated on ‘ standing up for others .’” Isaac leaned against the lockers as she put everything she needed for the night in her backpack. He was kind enough to not point out mace and a flashlight being among those items. “How are you feeling? Are you coming home, or going back to your dad’s?”

Isaac’s jaw dropped slightly before he swallowed. “I have to go to my dad’s. There was uh, a grave robbery last night. A liver was stolen. We have to figure out how to let the family know, and the insurance company is coming by to assess the damage — are you okay?”

A grave robbery. A stolen liver. Lydia still missing. “I’m fine.” She gave Isaac a tight smile. “I need to talk to Scott about the vet clinic, I need him to cover my shift.”

Isaac’s brow furrowed. “I thought you were off this week.”

“That’s why I need him to cover my shift.” Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she spotted Scott exiting a classroom down the hall. “I have to go, I’ll talk to you later.” Nina began walking away before she halted, turning back around to face Isaac. “Stay in tonight. If you need to come over, call me. Please.”

Slowly, Isaac nodded. “Uh, yeah. Okay. You too.”

She sped down the hall, grabbing Scott by his jacket collar and dragging him outside. “Hey, Nina, what’s up?” He asked nonchalantly.

“What’s up?” Nina hissed back. She led him to her car in the parking lot, looking around to make sure there was no chance of being overheard. “Did you know about the grave robbery?”

He nodded. “Stiles told me this morning. We were going to wait to mention it until we knew for sure it was Lydia. I never stole anyone’s liver, so I don’t think it was her.”

Nina suppressed an annoyed sigh. “What did you do when you turned for the first time?”

“I don’t remember. I would just wake up in the woods in the morning. Sometimes I thought I might have hurt someone, but that was just Peter.”

“And you didn’t think any of this was relevant?”

Scott only shrugged. “Peter’s dead.”

“Exactly!” Why was she the only one thinking ? “We’re back at square one! Which means we need to keep each other in the loop. If we had told Lydia what really happened, maybe she wouldn’t be missing right now.”

Scott faltered, letting out a sigh and then nodding. “Right. You’re right. I’m sorry, there’s just a lot going on.”

“Trust me, I know.” Nina ran her hands through her hair and huffed. “With the Argents looking for her, we need everyone in on every piece of information. Have you heard from Derek at all?”

“Derek?” Scott’s face scrunched up in confusion. “No. Allison thinks Lydia may be looking for him, but I don’t know if he’d seek her out. After what happened, he’s probably laying low.”

“Can you seek him out?” He only seemed to be more confused at the question. Nina really hated talking to him, sometimes. “I think we should get his help.”

Scott’s eyes widened. “What? No way! You saw what he did, he totally ruined any chance I may have had to be human again.”

“This isn’t about you!” She was growing more and more frustrated with him. “Lydia is in danger, Scott. Either she’s already with Derek, or he can help us find her. No offense, but he’s the only other werewolf we have at the moment, and he’s a lot better at it than you are.”

With another sigh, Scott closed his eyes. “Fine. I’m going to the funeral for Allison, but after that, I’ll look for Derek.”

“Thank you.” Nina exhaled in relief. “Getting out of the house is harder than usual, but let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Scott nodded. “I will.” 

“And keep me updated,” She continued, scolding him lightly. “You have my number. Use it.”

“Okay!” Scott laughed. “Jeez, you sound like my mom.”

~~~

“Oh, Nina, you don’t have to do that!” Natalie Martin rushed into the kitchen, stopping Nina just as she had started clearing the counter. “Let me, I made the mess anyway.”

Natalie had invited the Holmes family over for dinner that night, and with Isaac at his father’s, Jen didn’t have the heart to outright say no. So, with the caveat of possibly having to leave early, they went. 

“You made us dinner, I’m fine with cleaning up.”

Jen appeared in the archway with a soft smile. “Nina, leave the cleaning to us. Why don’t you go play with Prada in the living room? He’s getting antsy.”

The little papillon was brought home as a surprise gift for Lydia while she was still in the hospital. He was cute. During the dinner, he begged for scraps, but stopped as soon as Nina had told him no and spent the rest of the time curled between her feet. Natalie had laughed, saying “He’s a little genius, just like Lydia.”

In the living room, Will sat on the couch as Prada played with a stuffed chipmunk. “I think he’s stupid. He doesn’t respond to his name at all.”

“He’s a puppy.” Nina rolled her eyes as she sat down next to him. “Prada!” She didn’t have to do anything else for the dog to look up, the chipmunk left behind as he trotted to her. Nina lifted him into her lap and scratched behind his ears as he laid in her lap. 

When she gave her brother a smug smile, he was only staring warily at her. “Is that, uh… a werewolf thing?” 

It was barely above a whisper, and the word werewolf was even lower. Nina gaped at him. “I am not a — I work with dogs all day, Will, being good with them doesn’t make me a werewolf .”

“But Lydia is one. Right?” 

“We can’t talk about that here,” Nina hissed, glancing back towards the kitchen where Natalie and Jen were chatting. 

Will huffed. “We should tell Natalie.”

“Lydia doesn’t even know!”

“ What ?” He sat up. “How could you not have told her?”

Nina groaned, running her hands through her hair. “I know! I know, and I tried to convince the others—”

“You two okay?” Natalie and Jen appeared in the living room, coats in hand. When the twins made up some excuse, they both nodded. Jen seemed less convinced, but she wasn’t going to point that out in front of Natalie. “Alright. We’re heading out back for a few minutes, let us know if you need anything.”

Nina smiled. “Of course. Take your time.” Once they left, she turned back to Will. “I wanted to tell Lydia, but the others thought it would be best to wait until she got home from the hospital. And then she disappeared. We’ll tell her. I just don’t know how much longer they’ll want to wait once we find her.”

Letting out a sigh, Will covered his face with his hands. “I hate democracy.”

A loud knock at the front door sounded. Nina lifted Prada from her lap and moved to get the door, checking the peephole first. The sheriff. Flinging the door open, Nina immediately locked her eyes on Lydia. Disheveled, shivering, hair matted and only wearing the sheriff’s coat. But alive.

Lydia was alive.

Chapter Text

The rest of the week passed with relative ease. Lydia was cleared with the hospital and planned to return to school the following Monday. She wasn’t showing any signs of shifting, and couldn’t remember anything from her time in the woods. Now just came the matter of when to tell her what she was. Which, according to their last ‘discussion,’ wasn’t going to be anytime soon. Nina was still pissed off about it. At the end of the day Friday, she shoved her things in her backpack without organizing them and slammed her locker door. 

“Ow, Jesus!” Isaac clamped his hands over his ears as he hissed in pain, having been approaching from behind the open door. “What was that about?”

Nina sighed, throwing her backpack on. “Sorry. I’m just… there’s a lot going on right now.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

It was now that she noticed he was holding himself differently. Shoulders back, relaxed. “Did your eye heal?” 

Isaac’s eyes widened, no sign of the bruise. “Oh, yeah! It just looked worse than it was.” He ruffled his hair with a lax smile. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out this weekend. Like to a movie, or something.”

Normally Nina would say no. Sitting in public, uncomfortable seats for a movie she could just watch in her own home a few months later wasn’t appealing. But, home was equally annoying at the moment. “Sure. Did you ask Will?”

His smile faltered slightly. “No, uh… I was thinking it could just be us. A date. I want to go on a date with you.” 

A date? “Why? Do you need to practice for someone else?”

“You know, I would find this a lot more insulting if I didn’t know how dense you were.” Before Nina could respond, Isaac stepped forward, looking down at her. “I’m not practicing anything. I like you. I want to go on a date with you. ”

“Oh.” Nina’s brow furrowed as she processed the new information. “I… Isaac, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in you romantically. I really value you as a friend, but—”

“Seriously?” The tone in his voice threw her off. Was he… angry ? “Just like that, no. You aren’t even going to give me a chance?”

“Chance for what ?” Nina kept her voice down, glancing around the hall. Some stragglers were pretending not to eavesdrop, but scattered once she made eye contact. “I’m not interested. That’s it. I’m sorry, but—”

Isaac rolled his eyes. “I’ve tried to get the courage to ask you out the entire time I’ve known you. Do you seriously think you’re just so interesting that being your friend was good enough? I don’t need your pity.”

She ignored the stab of hurt at the implication of what he said. “I’m not! If I was pitying you, I’d agree to go on a date I didn’t want to go on.” His fist slammed into the lockers, denting one. When he glared at her, his eyes flashed golden, and Nina’s heart dropped to her stomach. The new demeaner. The sound of the locker causing him pain. What did he do? When did he do it? Nina swallowed and spoke, pushing down her nerves. “My phone died. I need to tell mum that I’m stopping at the clinic on the way home. Can I borrow yours, please?”

He scoffed. “Nice. Insult me, and then ask for my phone. I can’t believe you sometimes.” 

Despite his protests, he pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. At least that was something. Nina swallowed and scrolled through his contacts, finding the one she had been hoping not to see. It didn’t even take the second ring for him to pick up. “What’s wrong?”

Isaac went slack-jawed as he heard Derek’s voice. “This is Nina, I was at the house last week. Isaac isn’t in control. He just flashed his eyes at me and dented a locker.”

She could hear him let out a long exhale. “Give him the phone.”

As she held out the device, Isaac stared at her in betrayal. “You know Derek? You know about the—”

“I’m sorry.” Once he took it, she stepped back. “Really, I’m sorry. I… talk to me after the full moon.” With that, she spun on her heel and walked away, nails digging into her palms. 

At the very end of the hallway, she slammed open the door to the girl’s restroom and threw her backpack to the ground. No one was inside, thankfully. Her hands gripped the sides of the sink, knuckles turning pale against the porcelain.

The door burst open again, giggles echoing through as Allison led Scott into the room, both freezing at the sight of Nina. “Hey. Are… are you crying?”

A bitter laugh escaped Nina as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Oh, thank god Detective McCall is on the case! No one could have gotten that one!”

Allison patted Scott’s chest, pushing him back out the door. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Right.” He nodded, hesitantly looking at Nina. “I, uh, hope you feel better?”

The door closed before Nina could hurl any more expletives at him, and Allison got into gear. “Alright, what can I do? Do you want to talk about it, a distraction, silent company, or to be alone?”

She wanted to be alone. But that’s not what came out of her mouth. Instead, she sniffed. “Have you ever had a boy who you thought was your friend turn out to just want to date you the whole time?”

Allison’s shoulders fell as she gave her a small smile. “It sucks, doesn’t it?”

Swallowing, Nina nodded. “Yeah. It sucks.”

She thought about telling Allison of Isaac’s new status as a werewolf. The fact that Derek was starting to build his pack wasn’t something she could ignore. And yet, the irony of Lydia still being in the dark about her own transformation wasn’t lost on her. Maybe it was underlying bitterness from that, maybe it was the need to keep Isaac safe from the Argents, or maybe it was a desire to get all of the information — the when, the how, the why Derek turned Isaac — before telling anyone. Maybe it was all three. The fact of the matter was that Isaac hadn’t caused any problems yet, and putting him on everyone’s radar could cause more harm than good. 

That didn’t mean she couldn’t put him on anyone’s radar. On the way home, she explained everything that happened to Will in the passenger’s seat, finishing once they pulled into the parking lot. “Isaac’s a werewolf?” His voice was flat as he stared ahead, not moving to get out of the car.

“It seems like it,” Nina sighed. “I told him to talk to me after the full moon. He should be feeling better by then. Or, at least not as angry.”

“Right.” Closing his eyes, Will leaned his head back against the headrest. “I can’t believe he waited until he was a werewolf to ask you out.”

“You knew?”

“Oh, Jesus Christ.” He turned to glare at her. “I cannot do this with you right now. I just can’t.”

So, yes. “How could you not tell me?”

“Isaac told me not to, and to be completely honest, I thought that you might have been able to get your head out of your ass long enough to figure it out at the dance.”

“I was a bit busy.”

“Yes, I know that now .” He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut in exasperation. “And before you ask why I didn’t tell Isaac you weren’t interested, it’s because I didn’t know. You’re equally as terrible at understanding your own feelings as you are the feelings of other people. It was a tossup.”

Nina let out a long sigh. She didn’t want to talk about this anymore. “Should we tell mum?”

Thankfully, Will didn’t need her to specify. “She won’t believe us. Unless we bring Scott in again.”

“And she’s already protective enough now as it is.” In terms of helicopter parenting, Jen simply wasn’t. Nina knew that she had a lot of privileges and trust that people like Allison didn’t have with her parents. But knowing about the supernatural wasn’t something she could predict Jen’s reaction to. Her conversation with her mother on the way home from the hospital came to mind. It would be different if Peter were just a serial killer. “It’s possible she already knows.”

“So, we either expose that you’ve been lying to her for months, or that she has been lying to us for… I hope just months. Any longer would be concerning.”

“Another person to keep secrets from.”

“It’s not like you aren’t used to it.” They turned to each other, Will giving Nina a pointed look. 

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she turned the car off. “I deserve that.”

~~~

Monday morning, the Holmes were called into Beacon Hills High School half an hour before classes were supposed to start. They were asked to meet with the principal, but the old man ushering them into the office was not their principal. 

“Thank you for coming in on such short notice.” The man smiled, giving Jen a firm handshake. “My name is Gerard Argent. I’m the interim principal for the time being.” Nina kept her face blank. An Argent. As Gerard moved around his desk to sit down, Jen had the twins sit in the two chairs opposite of the desk. “Now, Nina, am I correct in assuming you’re friends with my granddaughter?”

As of right now, he was friendly. Unassuming. But Nina knew what hid behind that facade. “Do you hold meetings with all of your granddaughter’s friends’ families?” Will asked, lounging back in his chair.

Gerard chuckled. “No, of course not. I was just trying to make conversation, but you’re right. I should get to the point.” He folded his hands together, resting them on top of his desk as he held an air of authority. “Coming into this job in the middle of the year means I’m playing a lot of catchup. It looks like one of the things I’m catching up on is, unfortunately, the matter of our post-secondary education option.”

“Meaning?” Jen straightened, resting her hands on the backs of both Nina and Will’s chairs. 

Once again, he smiled. “A family that doesn’t beat around the bush. I appreciate that.”

“Then stop beating,” Will replied flatly.

“ William. ” Jen’s voice was one of warning as she shook her head once at him. “I apologize, Mister Argent, please go on.”

When Will spoke up, Nina had been watching Gerard. His eyes narrowed, ever so slightly, at the sass. But once Jen corrected him, he remained jovial. “The district decided it would be best to minimize the budget around… gratuitous programs. There are only about ten students here at Beacon Hills, other than you two, who utilize the opportunity. Now, this really should have taken effect at the beginning of the year, but it looks like I have to be the bearer of bad news.”

“This is ridiculous.” Jen stepped forward slightly. “If this was a district decision, there’s no reason for me to not have been notified. We’ve already bought textbooks, there’s a matter of travel costs, a lot of money has gone into this.”

Gerard held a hand up. “And, rest assured, it won’t be a waste. You’ll be reimbursed for all material costs. I can even negotiate the gas money for the trips back and forth. The classes you’ve been taking at Berkeley this year won’t be able to count for college credit, but it will count for your credits here. You won’t have to retake anything, you’ll be placed in similar courses.” At that, Gerard pulled two pieces of paper out of a file and handed them to both teenagers. Schedules. Nina did her best not to sneer as she looked from the schedule back to Gerard. “I took a health and nutrition course at Berkeley last year, I shouldn’t be in phys ed.”

He nodded solemnly. “Unfortunately, those are not the same subject. Health and nutrition is a different subject here, which you will not have to take.”

“Are you insane? This is bullshit!” 

When Gerard looked to Jen to correct her son once more, she folded her arms over her chest. “I’m inclined to agree. The district has handled this horribly. Do you have the names and numbers of the administration who I can contact personally?”

He sighed, nodding. “Of course. Let me get that for you.” He quickly wrote a few names with relevant contact information, and handed it to Jen. “I apologize for the bombshell. But, if I may, I believe this could be more beneficial to everyone involved. It will be good for Will and Nina to be around children their own age.”

Will scoffed and rolled his eyes. “That’s why we’re here half of the day already.”

“Learning a bit more respect for authority would also do some good.”

Jen’s eyes snapped to Gerard. “With all due respect , Mister Argent, I will be the one to parent my children. Will has shown as much respect as he’s been given.”

With a sigh, he gave them a polite smile. “Of course. I apologize for you not being made aware of this change sooner. I’ll let you discuss this on your own.” Gerard dismissed the family, calling Nina back for a moment once Jen and Will were out of the room. “Miss Holmes, I understand that this is a lot of change in one morning. I just wanted to make sure you know why this needed to happen.”

It was obvious to Nina why this needed to happen. It was a power play. If Chris, Victoria, or Allison told Gerard about Nina’s involvement in the past few months, it stood to reason that he wouldn’t want her unaccounted for during half of the day. This was about control. “I know why.”

“Good. It’s time to learn that the best of both worlds isn’t possible. Eventually, you have to pick a side.”

A bit on the nose. Nina’s brow rose. “Or it’s chosen for you.”

Gerard nodded, a knowing smile growing on his face. “I’m glad we understand one another. Now, make sure you get to class on time. At some point, we also have to discuss your attendance.”

As Nina closed the door to the office, she felt a stab of pain behind her eyes. Hopefully her mother had medication on her.

~~~

Her first class of the day was history. Pollock had been droning on about the Civil War for nearly fifteen minutes when the door opened, and Sheriff Stilinski peeked through. “Hey, I need to talk to Nina Holmes. Shouldn’t take long, but maybe grab your stuff.” So much for class. She hadn’t been paying attention anyway. Nina ignored the stares of her classmates as she packed up and left, Noah giving her a hesitant smile once they were in the hall. “I thought you were at Berkeley in the mornings?”

“So did I.”

“Oh.” He nodded, sensing it was a sour subject. He led her back to the counselor’s office, which was empty. “I remember back when I went to your apartment to ask you about the attack at the school, Isaac Lahey was there. Are you friends?”

They were . Or, at least, Nina thought they were. “He’s closer with Will. Why?”

Noah nodded, sitting down and gesturing for Nina to do the same. “It hasn’t been released to the news yet, but… Isaac’s father is dead.”

Fuck . She would have rejoiced at the news if the obvious implication wasn’t staring her in the face. Isaac probably murdered him. He deserved it, but with Isaac being a werewolf, this meant the Argents would be after him. And with it being a full moon, he couldn’t be held for questioning. “Oh my god… is Isaac alright?” She could play dumb for the time being. As long as the sheriff didn’t know about the abuse, Isaac wouldn’t be a prime suspect.

“I talked to Jackson before you. They’re neighbors. Jackson mentioned that his father was pretty physically abusive. You know anything about that?”

Fuck. Nina gaped, her brow furrowing in surprise. Noah wasn’t supposed to disclose that Jackson was a witness, but she was thankful for it. “I had no idea — are you sure?”

Noah sighed. “With the witness statement, and Isaac’s black eye last week, it’s pretty evident.”

“I… his black eye? He got that from lacrosse. I was there, I watch the practices.” Nina looked down, shaking her head. The more emotional she got, the more likely Noah would be to believe her. The goal was to get as much suspicion off of Isaac as possible. If she got too emotional, however, he’d stop the questioning entirely. “Did Jackson say his dad gave it to him? Jackson was at that practice, too. God, he always does this—”

“No, no, Jackson didn’t say that. I just— he always does this?” Noah’s brow furrowed.

When she said it, Nina was worried that directly discrediting Jackson would be suspicious. Instead, it seemed to work in her favor. “I’m sorry, he just dated Lydia, and he lied to her all the time. I know it’s not the same thing, but… sorry, don’t listen to that. I’m just on my period—”

Noah gave her an awkward smile. “It’s alright.” 

It worked. He was still going to bring Isaac in, but at least that seed of doubt in the most damning evidence was sowed. “What will happen to Isaac? He doesn’t have any other family here in Beacon Hills. He spends so much time at our place, could he stay with us?” Never mind the logistics of housing a new werewolf in an apartment. That could be figured out later.

Reaching his hand back to scratch the back of his head, Noah exhaled. “Look, Nina — I know you care about Isaac, so I’ll be honest with you. It doesn’t look good for him right now. We have to bring him into the station for the next couple of days, see what he has to say.”

It was time to end this. Tears sprung to Nina’s eyes as she sniffled. “I— he’s a suspect ?”

Sniffles turned to sobs as Noah handed her tissues. “Oh, geez… okay, uhm, I’m sorry, Nina. I know this is hard.” His hand rested on her shoulder. 

That was a miscalculation on Nina’s part. She assumed the crying would get him to leave, wanting to avoid anything awkward, but instead he was… comforting her. It made her feel bad for lying to him. “I should get back to class,” She said, making her voice sound weak as she blew her nose.

“Are you sure? Take all the time you need, it’s okay.”

If she wasn’t careful, the genuine concern for her wellbeing might make her break down for real, and the thought of doing that absolutely mortified her. “I’m sure. Thank you.”

Slowly, he nodded. “Alright. If you’re sure. Look, I gotta take Isaac in, but the sooner I do that, since he’s innocent, the sooner he’ll be out. Right?”

The only problem was that Nina didn’t know if he was innocent. “Right.” 

Once he left, she waited approximately fifteen seconds to follow the sheriff. Noah left the school, Nina staying behind to watch through the window as Isaac was put in the back of the cruiser. “Say nothing without a lawyer,” She muttered, watching as Isaac turned to look through the back window, making eye contact with her.

Next to her, Scott burst through the front doors, standing on the front step of the school as the cruiser pulled away. Nina followed. When Scott turned to look back at her, his brow was furrowed. “Did you know that Isaac was a werewolf?”

“I found out last Friday.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

How many times had she heard that in the past week? Closing her eyes, Nina sighed. “At the time, he hadn’t caused any problems. All he did was flash his eyes at me.” And dent a locker, but Scott would definitely view that as a problem. 

Scott’s jaw dropped as he stared at her with wide eyes. “He threatened you ? And you didn’t think to say anything?”

“I thought about it, and decided not to. And it wasn’t a threat, it was just a reflex—”

“Nina!” He threw his arms out, running them through his hair. “We could have avoided all of this if you had just told me!”

“Like we could have told Lydia? Like we still aren’t telling her?” Before Scott could retaliate, she continued. “And it isn’t like I didn’t tell anybody . I told Derek right after it happened.”

That did not reassure him. “You’re in contact with Derek ?”

Speaking of, a shiny black Camaro pulled around to the front stairs, and Derek himself stared at the two through the passenger window. “Get in, Scott. Not you.” The second part was directed at Nina. 

Scott’s head spun back and forth between the two before settling on Derek. “Are you serious? You did that. That’s your fault!” 

“Why the hell was he at school on a full moon ?” Nina demanded, finding all of her anger at everything directed at the adult man who caused about half of her current problems. 

Derek exhaled. “With his dad dead, it would have been more suspicious for him to be suddenly absent.”

“At least he wouldn’t have been detained!” 

“I know that!” Nina folded her arms over her chest as Derek snapped at her. “Which is why I need Scott to get in the car and help me.”

“No way!” Scott got closer to the car. “I have a better idea. I’m gonna call a lawyer. Because a lawyer might actually have a chance at getting him out before the moon goes up.”

Derek gave Nina a pointed look. “Not when they do a real search of the house. Whatever Jackson said to the cops, what’s in that house is worse. A lot worse.”

He was right. Nina sighed, her arms tightening around herself. “I tried my best to relieve suspicion. I made Jackson sound unreliable, and the sheriff knows that Isaac is— was my friend. It’s not much, but it’s something.”

Derek’s face was stony as he stared at Scott. “Not if they get to the house before we do.”

Scott faltered, looking at Nina. “You’re friends with him?” Hesitantly, she nodded. “Do you think he did it?”

“I don’t care.” That came out harsher than intended, as evident by the shock on Scott’s face, but it was true. “His father deserved everything that happened to him and more. Whether or not Isaac did it, him being in jail tonight is going to get people killed. So if helping Derek will get him out…” She glanced at Derek, who nodded. “Please help.”

Shoulders deflated, Scott nodded. “Alright.” Derek opened the passenger door for Scott, and he tossed his backpack in before sitting down. Scott closed the door, turning back to Nina. “No more secrets. We’re in this together, now.”

Nina swallowed and nodded. It probably wouldn’t be the last of the secrets from either of them. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do. I’ll call a lawyer.” She waited until the Camaro was out of view before going back inside the school.

~~~

At this point, Nina was confident that Gerard had crafted her morning schedule purposely to torture her. There was no other reason for her to be in high school chemistry when she had already proven that she could take it at a university level. The pop quiz on molar conversion Harris still made her take despite being in the class for all of five minutes was proof enough. After the quiz was finished, Harris sat at his desk, grading as he forced the class to teach themselves from their textbooks. 

At the time, Nina had been texting back and forth with Will and Jen, trying to figure out the fastest way to get Isaac out of holding — or if they could . Chances were unlikely. The police had the right to detain Isaac for at least forty-eight hours without officially filing charges. “Miss Holmes, you have to show your work. Or did Berkeley not teach you how to do that?” Soft giggles erupted at the drawl of Harris’s mocking tone. 

That was a battle she’d been fighting her entire school career. And one, with no other outlet for her current frustrations, that she would be fighting now. Nina stared him down, unimpressed. “Berkeley taught me to be right.”

He gave a dry chuckle. “Well, it looks like you failed that class.”

“Which one?” Harris’s brow furrowed. “Which one did I get wrong?” Smirking, he began to read out the question. “No. Just the question number.” Nina stood, going to the front of the class.

“Sit down, Miss Holmes—”

“I’m sorry, I thought you wanted me to show my work. What number did I get wrong?” At the chalkboard, Nina grabbed a piece of chalk and began making the grid.

Never one to turn down the chance of humiliating a student, Harris scoffed. “Number five.”

Converting grams to molecules. Nina rolled her eyes as she started filling in the numbers and units, taking less than a minute to get to the answer. “1.838 grams of sulfur are in 3.45 × 10 22 molecules of sulfur dioxide. Is that enough work for you?”

“Yes, it is. But it’s still wrong .”

There was silence from the class before someone hesitantly raised his hand. “Uh, I also got that answer.” It was the boy who tried to talk to Allison last week. 

Harris smiled. “Well, Matt, I’m sorry, but it was incorrect.”

“Then what is the right answer?” A girl with curly ginger hair and freckles also hesitantly raised her hand. “Because I got that too.”

Hums of agreement sounded from around the room. 

Harris peered around the room. “Seriously? This isn’t that hard, you guys.” He scoffed, erasing Nina’s work from the board as she remained standing. As Harris wrote the problem out himself, he spoke aloud. “... And finally, you get… 1.838 grams.” His voice went quiet as he realized that was the same answer everyone else got. He went back to his desk, looking at the answer key.

She pursed her lips and folded her arms over her chest. “Did whatever hack university you got your degree from teach you how to read? Or did you fail that class?”

Harris’s head shot up to meet her gaze. “Sit down.” Nina complied without another word, letting out a huff as she sat back in her seat. “You know, that was very impressive, Miss Holmes. I think you just set the record for the fastest detention ever earned in Beacon Hills history.”

Fuck.

~~~

Nina was already sitting in Harris’s class, working on her homework, when Stiles walked in. “What are you doing here?” He dropped his backpack to the floor with a thud, sitting in the chair next to her.

“No talking.” Harris stood from his desk with a stack of papers in hand. “Other side of the room, Stilinski. I have to run these to the scanner, but before I do that, I will be taking your phones.”

Stiles stared up at Harris as the teacher held his hand out for the two’s phones. “Detention hasn’t even started yet.”

“It started as soon as you walked in the room. Phones.”

With a scoff, Stiles begrudgingly handed the phone over. Nina, however, sat back. “You can’t take our belongings out of the room.”

Harris pretended to consider it. “Huh. I can, actually, because I’m the teacher.”

“And teachers have to follow school policy. Our phones have to stay in the room until we leave. Otherwise it constitutes theft. We can bring the sheriff back, if you need a little refresher on the law. You might need one, anyway.”

The level of contempt he leveled her with was impressive. “I’m alright. Your phones will be in my locked desk drawer. Hand it over.”

Nina gave him an innocent smile as she gave it to him. Harris went back to his desk, making a large show of dropping the phones in the desk and locking it before leaving the room. At the doorway, he stopped and turned back to them. “No talking. Stilinski, move .” He waited until Stiles moved a few tables down to finally leave. 

Immediately, Stiles turned around and faced Nina. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t have Harris because of Berkeley.”

Her expression soured. “Gerard decided to make sure I was easily accessible all day instead of letting me go unaccounted for.” She reached down into the bottom of her backpack, grabbing a small flip phone.

“Jesus. Is it like, just an Argent thing to be insanely creepy? I can’t — what is that?”

She looked up in the middle of texting Will and her mother about her phone being confiscated. “It’s a burner.”

“What are you, a drug dealer?” 

Nina rolled her eyes. “I would never tell you that.”

“I—” He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. “Are you a drug dealer?”

“No, I’m not a drug dealer.” Stiles seemed unconvinced. “It’s in case there’s an emergency and I don’t have my phone on me. Isaac being in jail is an emergency. I’m trying to figure out if there’s a legal route to get him out before the full moon.”

While that seemed to placate him, he was still suspicious. “You don’t have enough drug money to pay his bail?”

“Oh my god—” 

“What did I say about talking?” Harris came back, glaring at Stiles and Nina. “I don’t care what you do, as long as I don’t hear your voices.” He didn’t notice as Nina slid the phone back into her bag, pulling out homework to do.

Chapter Text

Hours later, the two were finally freed. It was already dark out, the full moon visible over the trees. They were running out of time. As they ran to Stiles’s Jeep, he was already on the phone with Allison. “Hey, sorry, Harris just let us out of detention. He had our phones the whole time.” Nina was checking her own messages. She’d told those who needed to know that she had detention, so the only texts she had were updates from Allison, and an invitation to Lydia’s house to hang out. Nina pushed that guilt to the back of her mind as she asked for a raincheck. She would be able to spend time with Lydia once Isaac was out of jail. “Wait, what guy?” Stiles paused, looking back at Nina. After a moment, his face dropped. “They’re sending him to the station for Isaac.” At that, Nina ran to the passenger door, throwing it open and hopping inside. Stiles followed, asking about some symbol as he started the car. Before he started driving, he looked at his phone screen. Allison sent him a photo from a book; a tall, purple flower. Wolfsbane. They were going to kill him.

Ice shot through her veins as Stiles hung up and pulled out of the parking lot. Nina rooted through her backpack, trying to find anything that was a real weapon. All she found was her pocket knife.

To his credit, Stiles was driving to the station as fast as he could. It still wasn’t fast enough. Nina spun through every possible way to get Isaac out of jail before the Argents got to the station, trying to find some way to make it work. With their connection to the police, she just couldn't. “Hey, uh…” Stiles glanced over at Nina as he tapped his fingers against the wheel. No matter how fast he drove, they still had at least fifteen minutes of silence that only Nina was fine leaving unfilled. “Thanks again for paying to get the window fixed.”

Over the weekend they stayed at the hospital, Nina had Jen bring Stiles’s Jeep to their usual mechanic to have the window she’d broken repaired. “I shattered it with a chair leg. Of course I’d get it fixed.”

“Right.” Stiles ran his hand over his head, nodding. “I mean, I just didn’t realize you also ‘broke’ the brake fluid. Or the oil.”

Getting those checked was just standard. It was easier to take care of it at the same time as the window. “And risk breaking down at a time like this? No thanks.”

“Uh huh. And the radio?” 

“You don’t like music?” She could hear the annoyed edge take over in her tone and sighed. “Sorry. I should have asked you if it was alright before allowing my mum to give the mechanic the go-ahead.”

Stiles shook his head. “No, it’s fine, I just… I’ll pay you back for the extra stuff. It will just take a while.”

Oh. Of course it was a money issue. She should have realized that before. “Don’t worry about it.” Stiles scoffed, prompting her to continue. “I mean it. I broke the window, I paid for it. That was the deal. You didn’t agree to the other shit, so you don’t owe me anything. The mechanic has a crush on my mum, so it was all discounted anyway.”

“I can’t just—” 

“You’re already paying me back by helping me break Isaac out of holding.” He faltered. “If we get caught, you’re at risk. You don’t even know him that well. So if we manage to get him out of there before the Argents, we’re even.”

Finally, Stiles gave a begrudging nod. Thank God. That conversation was getting way too awkward. “How did you even know about Isaac getting turned, anyway?”

Nina closed her eyes and sighed, leaning back in her seat. “We had an argument on Friday.” She debated getting into the details of it. It was none of his business, but maybe an impartial point of view would help. Even if it was Stiles. “He… asked me out. I told him I wasn’t interested, and he got angry with me. He said I should have at least given him a chance, and that he was just pretending to be my friend so he could build up the courage to ask me on a date. I still said no, and he… he flashed his eyes and punched a locker. Dented it.”

Stiles was silent as he digested the information. When he glanced over at her, his brow was furrowed slightly in concern. “Is he the reason you were crying?” When her eyes narrowed on him, he quickly added, “Scott mentioned he and Allison found you alone in the bathroom. He said you were really upset.”

Wonderful. It was great to know that Scott was a gossip. Nina pinched the bridge of her nose as her headache worsened. “Yes, that’s why. And before you say it, I know I should have told everyone about him being a werewolf. At the time, he hadn’t done anything to warrant it.”

Stiles made a face. “You don’t think flashing his eyes and denting a locker in the middle of the school hallway warranted a heads up?”

“It wasn’t his fault. He had just been bitten, it was close to a full moon. He couldn’t control his anger—”

“No, hold on — we’re not doing that. He could have controlled it if he wanted to.” Stiles’s jaw set as he gripped the wheel. “Scott never did shit like that to me unless the moon was fully up . Not once. Well, at least once he knew he was a werewolf. I bet Isaac sought out the bite, liked his new power, and was pissed off it didn’t get him what he wanted. And he took it out on you instead of respecting your answer, because he’s a dick . I mean, he had no right to be angry with you! Him trying to guilt you into going on a date with him is like, Jackson levels of asshole. Could you have told him you weren’t interested before going to dance with him? Maybe, sure, but he wasn’t owed that.”

“We went to the formal as friends! I didn’t know!”

“I—” Stiles paused, confusion taking over his tone. “What do you mean?”

“I didn’t know he had a crush on me! How was I supposed to reject him beforehand if I didn’t know?”

He stared at her for a moment. “Isaac?” Nina nodded. “The same Isaac you went to the dance with? And is currently in holding?” Another confirmation. “You didn’t know Isaac had a crush on you?”

“It’s not like it was obvious!”

He stared at her incredulously. “… Dude. I sat at the same table as you two for like, an hour. It was ‘Scott trying to lie’ obvious . I felt bad for him.”

“Talking to you about this was a mistake.”

“Maybe!” Stiles gave a large shrug. “But that’s not the point. Either way, werewolf or not, full moon or not, what he said and did to you was a dick move. You didn’t deserve that.”

She faltered before she could answer. “I guess—”

“No, no ‘I guess.’ You didn’t deserve that, and you still don’t. What would you say if someone did that to Lydia? Or Allison?”

She would have destroyed any guy that tried. But that hypothetical guy wasn’t Isaac, and Lydia and Allison hadn’t been enabling his abuse for the better part of a year. “Fine,” She said, unconvincingly.

At that moment, Stiles’s phone rang again, and Nina thanked whatever werewolf deity there was for not having to continue that conversation. He answered and put the phone on speaker, handing it to Nina. “Hey, did you slow him down?”

“You could say that.”

The vagueness of the statement did little to calm Nina’s nerves. “Alright, well, we’re headed to the station right now. Where’s Scott?”

“Isaac’s .”

“Is Derek still with him?” Nina asked.

“No, I’m heading over there now. His plan for the full moon is kind of… really bad.”

“And we don’t have time to think of anything better.” Stiles sighed, glancing up at the sky. The moon was steadily rising. Allison said goodbye before hanging up, leaving them back in tense silence. At least they were getting closer. 

A few blocks away from the police station, they were stopped at a red light. “No one is around, you can just—”

“We’re already breaking someone out of jail, I’m not adding running red lights to the list of crimes tonight.”

Nina huffed. “I’m just saying, it’s a much lesser crime.”

“And a judge is not going to— Jesus Christ —” 

Nina and Stiles both jumped as the back door flung open and Derek got in, leaning forward. “Go.”

“You didn’t lock the doors?” Nina demanded, Derek’s presence immediately stressing her out even more.

It seemed to have the same effect on Stiles. “I had other things on my mind! And no , I’m not going, the light is still red—”

“Now!”

“Fine!” The light turned green just as Stiles accelerated forward. With Derek pressing him to go faster, it only took another minute for them to get to the station. No signs of any Argents or their vehicles. They all looked inside the window, seeing one lone officer at the front desk. “Okay, the keys to every cell are in a password protected lockbox in my dad’s office. The problem is getting past the front desk,” Stiles said, turning to Nina and Derek.

“I’ll distract her,” Derek said, as though it were completely obvious, as he opened the door to get out.

Stiles grabbed Derek’s jacket, pulling him back. “Whoa, you ? You’re not going in there!” 

Derek stared down at Stiles’s hand before glaring at him, and Stiles let go. “I was exonerated,” He said at the implication of Stiles’s words. 

“You’re still a person of interest.”

“An innocent person.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Nina snorted. “The police arrest innocent people all the time. Ones they even know are innocent. All it takes is planting a little evidence.”

Stiles lifted his hands in protest. “Hey. They don’t do that. At least not the BHPD.”

“The Argents sell firearms to them. As far as we know, the entire station could be in their back pocket.”

“They aren’t. Trust me, okay?” He rolled his eyes and looked back at Derek. “What was your plan, anyway?”

Derek’s eyebrows lifted, shocked he even had to explain. “To distract her.”

Nina and Stiles shared an incredulous look. “Uh-huh. How? By punching her in the face?”

“Ha.” Derek rolled his eyes. “By talking to her.”

“About what, the weather?” Nina sneered as Derek turned his glare on her. “You can’t just go into a police station and start small-talking someone. That’s the definition of suspicious.”

“It’ll work.”

“Alright, give us a sample. What are you going to open with?” Stiles asked. They had nothing else, and they were running out of time. Saying nothing, Derek sighed and stared at the both of them. Stiles nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Dead silence. That should work beautifully. Any other ideas?”

Derek looked up, mocking contemplation. “I’m thinking about punching you in the face.”

“Lovely.” Nina rubbed underneath her eyes. Every minute that went by, the pounding in her head got worse. “Just get her attention away from the front door.”

They all went in, Nina and Stiles trailing behind. They waited as Derek flirted with the officer, only going past when Stiles peeked around the door and gave the signal. Deep down, Nina had been hoping that it wouldn’t work. Only a little. It made her lose what little respect she had left for the police.

The sheriff’s office being open made her lose even more. “Your dad doesn’t lock his door when he leaves?” She whispered as they walked in, Stiles making a beeline for the back of the room. 

“He usually does. He might have only stepped out for a minute, which means we need to… oh no.” He’d been typing in the code as he spoke, pausing when he opened it and nothing was inside.

The Argents were ahead. Nina and Stiles ran back out of the office, Stiles leading them to the holding cells. Down one of the halls, they ran into another officer. As Stiles stammered out some excuse, Nina stared the man up and down. Sickly pale, with a thick sheen of sweat. There was a thin object sticking out of his thigh, his opposite hand holding a syringe of dark purple liquid. Nina gripped her pocket knife and tried to flip it open as subtly as possible. 

He noticed, grabbing Nina and wrapping his arms underneath her own, around her torso with one hand covering her mouth and the other still holding the syringe. 

Stiles lifted his hands in the air in surrender and took a step back. “Hey, man—” Nina planted her feet on the ground, bending forward before throwing her head back. A large crack of bone against bone sounded as they both yelled in pain. The man crumpled to the ground, blood gushing from his nose. Temporarily incapacitated, Nina was able to root around his pockets for the cell keys and grabbed the syringe before she and Stiles made a run for it.

Once they got there, the door in the middle of the room was off its hinges. “Shit—” Something slammed into Nina’s head from behind and she fell to the ground. She was maneuvered onto her back, and two hands wrapped around her neck. The hunter was on top of her, effectively pinning her legs. He kept his elbows locked so she couldn’t reach his face. As black dots clouded her vision, the pressure around her neck was suddenly gone. Nina struggled to sit up as she gasped for breath. 

More hands grasped at her, and she started lashing out, trying to make whatever contact she could as she blinked tears away. “Ow— damn it, Nina, stop !” Stiles. His arms wrapped around her torso and she was dragged across the floor. 

After she caught her breath, Nina looked up across the room, where someone with his back facing her was holding the hunter against the wall, growling before he slammed the hunter’s head against the wall and threw him to the floor. “Isaac?”

His head snapped to her immediately. Even under the werewolf features, that was Isaac. And he was mad . His eyes locked on her, claws extended, stepping forward slowly. “ Why did you get his attention ?” Stiles hissed, trying to back into the wall even further. 

“Oxygen to the brain was interrupted,” She replied meekly. Everything still felt fuzzy. 

Something shattered, getting Isaac’s attention away from the two. She only glanced at the source of the noise long enough to see Derek before Isaac was facing her once more. 

Her ears popped at the sound of a roar. Derek’s roar. She was reminded of that night at the school. It was different from Peter’s, but it felt the same. And Peter’s was far away, somewhere within the school, separated by floors and walls. Derek was in the same room. 

She was woken up by the feeling of her shoulder being jostled. “Nina? Hey, we gotta get out of here. I can try to carry you, but I don’t think that’ll work very well, and—”

“Shut up.” Nina groaned, pushing herself up.

“Oh, thank god.” Stiles must have put her on her side. It was for the best, if the dripping feeling on her upper lip was blood. “Here.” Fabric was suddenly pressed against her nose, and Nina forced herself into focus. He was no longer wearing his flannel. 

Nina kept the flannel to her nose as she looked around the room. Derek and Isaac were gone, and the hunter was in a heap on the other side of the room. “Is he dead?”

Stiles gaped. “I, uh… I don’t know, actually.” He stood, going over to the man and kicking him lightly. Nina could hear a soft groan. Good. At least Isaac wasn’t racking up a list of murders. 

The sounds of footsteps approached, causing Stiles to groan and Nina’s shoulders to tense. The sheriff appeared in the archway with two other officers, who all paused to survey the damage. Nina was sure the sight wasn’t pretty. A holding cell missing a door, an unconscious officer, a bloody teenage girl, and the sheriff’s son. Perhaps there was a joke somewhere in there. 

Lifting his arm, Stiles lamely pointed at the hunter. “He did it.”

~~~

On the bright side, Nina’s migraine had lightened up by the time she was isolated in the interrogation room. Still, her request to keep the lights down was honored. Deputy Slowick sat on the opposite side of the table, a closed file resting underneath her hands. “What were you doing here?” She asked, pushing up her glasses.

In any other case, Nina would have responded with the demand for a lawyer. In this instance, however, it did more in her and Stiles’s favor to talk. With his connection, they wouldn’t be arrested. Camera footage would only show them getting attacked first and Nina fighting back. The rest of the evidence would point to a specific sequence of events; one in which Nina and Stiles just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It didn’t hurt that the biggest crime of the night was the man who posed as an officer and attacked three teenagers. They would be much more focused on that. 

So, Nina swallowed, tears building up in her eyes. It wasn’t hard to do, considering she was still in a lot of pain. “I just wanted to make sure Isaac was okay. Stiles said I could at least see him.” She felt a little bad for sticking him with the blame, but he had insisted. 

Slowick nodded solemnly. “I get that. He’s your friend. Sheriff Stilinski told me you two are close.” Good cop routine. She opened the file, reading some of it before peering back up at Nina over her glasses. “He also told me you’ve been through a lot recently. Kidnapped twice in one night. Not much is known about when you were kidnapped from the hospital.”

Huh. Interesting. “I was told the hospital footage was tampered with.”

“That’s really unfortunate, isn’t it?”

Nina folded her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair. “You don’t sound so convinced.” So much for Stiles’s faith in the BHPD. 

With a smile, Slowlick leaned forward. “It depends, doesn’t it? It’s pretty fortunate for whoever has it. If the kidnappers were the ones who got it, they can just dispose of it entirely. If someone else tampered with it, then they have leverage.”

“Like I said. It’s unfortunate.”

Before Slowick could continue, the door to the interrogation room opened, Jen barging into the room. “Nina, come on. We’re going home.”

“Miss Holmes,” Noah followed her in, his arms lifted in surrender. “I promise, we just need a quick statement—”

“I’m sorry, is my daughter under arrest?”

“No, of course not—”

“Then you have no right to hold her. She was attacked, Sheriff, by someone masquerading as one of your deputies. Was she even medically cleared?”

Noah let out a tired sigh. “I understand your frustration, and I’m sorry—”

“Oh, thank God someone is sorry! ” Jen barked out a laugh. “Nina. Get up.”

“Yes ma’am,” She muttered, standing from the chair. Jen shot her a quick glare, ushering her out of the room. She heard Slowick protest before Noah shut her down. On the way out, Nina saw Stiles sitting alone in the sheriff’s office. 

It wasn’t until they got in the car that Jen finally stopped, facing Nina. “Are you alright? What happened?”

“I’m fine, I promise.” 

Still, Jen made sure to check for herself. She gripped Nina’s chin and moved her head around, checking for any injuries. Once she seemed sure that Nina was, at least physically okay, that worry turned to anger. She let go of Nina, running her hands through her hair in frustration. “What the absolute hell were you thinking?”

“I just wanted to make sure Isaac was alright—”

“Not that, Nina, talking to the police! You know that’s the dumbest thing you could possibly do!”

It was true, but that was the point. “The sheriff knows that Isaac knows us. If I refused to say anything, he could have put it together that we knew about the abuse.”

“He could have assumed that. Assumptions don’t hold in court, but lying to an officer does!”

“I had to try and get him out!” Her voice rose, cracking in desperation. “No one else cared!”

“Of course I care!” Jen closed her eyes and groaned. “Nina, you have to just trust me that the safest place for Isaac to be tonight was that cell.”

Nina’s eyes widened. “Someone tried to murder him !” 

“I know that!” Nina couldn’t help but flinch as her mother snapped. Jen noticed and swallowed, deflating. “I know. And I’m relieved he was able to get away, and I wish I knew where he was now to make sure he’s safe. But I don’t. And I can’t.” She let out a shaky breath, starting the car and pulling away from the station. “Right now, my priority is getting you home. It isn’t safe to be out tonight.”

That was the second time she mentioned it being unsafe during the full moon. Of course, Jen hadn’t used those words specifically, but what else could she mean? A lot of things, probably. And Nina wasn’t in the mood to continue prodding. 

Once they got home, Nina immediately locked herself in Will’s room, interrupting her brother from his homework. “Isaac escaped from holding,” She began, pacing the room. “A hunter tried to kill him, but he made it out. He’s with Derek now. Somewhere.” It was a simplified version of events, but at least it wouldn’t cause any unnecessary worry.

Will paused in his writing, pen in the air. “… Alright.” He leaned back in his chair. “If we’re just dropping bombs, Lydia isn’t a werewolf.”

Everything stopped. Lydia. How could she forget about Lydia? Nina sat on the edge of Will’s bed, attempting to reckon with the guilt and relief and everything that washed over her. “How do you know?”

“While you were in detention, she texted me asking where you were. She seemed disappointed that you were unavailable. I thought leaving a potential werewolf completely by herself on a full moon was, at best, stupid, so I offered to spend time with her. It was very awkward, but no fangs or claws came out. She made me watch The Notebook. ”

“It’s her comfort movie,” Nina sighed. She dropped her head into her hands, shutting her eyes tightly to combat the tears threatening to build up. “I’m a horrible friend.”

Will said nothing until Nina felt the bed dip beside her and his hand on her shoulder. “Maybe.” Thank God. She was afraid he might have tried to baby her. “Now you can make it up to her. Like I have to make up to Isaac.”

At this rate, Nina was sure she would spend the rest of her life trying to do anything she could to make it up to Isaac.

Chapter Text

“ Shit .”

“Yeah.” 

Allison, Scott, and Stiles all appeared equally crestfallen at the realization that they had also forgotten about Lydia the night prior. They all sat in the Holmes’s living room, trying to wake up enough for the recap of everyone’s nights before school. Nina and Allison both nursed coffee, the boys having declined for various reasons; Scott hated the taste, Will preferred tea, and Stiles claimed it did the opposite of waking him up in the mornings. ADHD was fun like that. “So, what is she?” Nina leaned back on the couch, her feet propped up on the coffee table. Offering up her own home wasn’t ideal, but it was the only location that wouldn’t have Argents banging down the door, and there was no chance of eavesdropping as Jen had long left for work. 

“What do you mean?” Allison’s brow furrowed as she looked at her.

Stiles ran his hand over his head and sighed. “The options, as far as we know, are that you either turn or… die. Lydia didn’t die, but if she didn’t turn into a werewolf either…”

“What will she turn into?” At Nina’s continuation, Stiles nodded and thrust a hand in her direction.

Allison’s jaw dropped, turning to Scott and resting her hand on his knee. “What about that thing we saw at the house?” At everyone else’s prompting, she continued. “It was dark. I couldn’t see it very well, but it… it had a tail.”

“Werewolves don’t have tails?”

Silence followed as everyone stared at Will. Finally, Scott answered with a shrug. “I don’t.”

“Did Peter? In his… ‘wolf’ form?” He gestured to Scott lamely as everyone continued to stare. When he got no response, he rolled his eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry , is that a stupid question? I should have known the longstanding rule that werewolves don’t have tails. You know, the thing wolves famously do have?”

Nina closed her eyes and sighed. “It gets easier once you just accept they have nothing in common.”

“So there’s more?” He asked, in the same tone one would use to ask if anyone else had just smelled something particularly rank.

“You learned about werewolves and assumed that was it?” Stiles questioned.

Will’s face soured further. “It was more of a hope, really.” No one contested that. It would certainly make things easier. He ran his hand over his face in exasperation. “What time did you see the thing with the tail? I was with Lydia from about seven-ish to a little after eleven.”

Allison folded her arms over her chest. “I wasn’t exactly checking the time, but I left as soon as it was gone and got home around midnight.” Will not being with her when the moon was at its peak meant that Lydia could technically still be a werewolf, but because of how volatile first full moons were, it was unlikely. The time discrepancy made it possible she turned into something else.

“So it could have been her. But why would she go to Isaac’s house?” Stiles asked.

“Why would she go to Derek’s?” Nina countered, referencing the other night. If Lydia was this different creature, there must have been a reason as to why she was going to those places. 

Scott, face downward and twisted in confusion, suddenly looked back up at Allison with wide eyes. “Maybe that creature still has the same instinct — to seek out an alpha. Derek was with me yesterday, at Isaac’s house. Maybe that’s why she went there. She still smelled Derek.”

“Alright. That’s it.” Will pushed himself to stand, shaking his head. “I’ve had my fill for today. If anyone needs me, I will be sitting in the car in silence for the next hour. Keys?” Nina got her car keys out of her bag and threw them across the room, Will managing to grab them in midair. 

When the door closed behind him, Nina pulled her feet off the coffee table and sat forward. “Scott, can you talk to him?”

“Will?”

She sighed. “No, Derek. Can you talk to Derek?”

He shook his head. “Why?”

Was she speaking in riddles? “Because Lydia may be subconsciously looking for him?” She watched as his mouth formed a small ‘oh’ in realization. “He may know what she is.”

“Yeah, but Derek kinda sucks. A lot.” At Stiles’s protest, Nina resisted the urge to reply with “I still manage to talk to you.” It was too easy. And a bit too rude. It was something she could say to Lydia, knowing she would just roll her eyes and counter with something about Nina’s hair. Anyone else might take it as a genuine insult. As the rest decided it would be too risky to clue Derek in, Nina found her face twisting in mild distaste. Since when did she care what Stiles thought?

Once again, the solution was to keep Lydia in the dark. Much to Nina’s chagrin, they didn’t know enough to be able to explain anything. It would just complicate things more. So they couldn’t talk to her, or Derek, or Allison’s parents. “We could try Deaton.”

Scott perked up. “I work tomorrow after school, I’ll talk to him then!”

That was something, at least. 

~~~

There was a reason Nina didn’t want to take phys ed. As soon as she had walked into the gymnasium and saw the rock wall, she used her migraines as an excuse to sit out of that activity. Finstock wasn’t impressed, but didn’t argue, simply waving her off. It didn’t take long for Lydia to join her, and the coach definitely wasn’t going to open that bag of worms. So, the two were able to hang out on the bleachers. 

“How was detention?” The question was pointed, Lydia not even looking at Nina as she took selfies.

“It was with Harris, so… annoying.” Nina laid back, her elbows resting against the cool metal. “How was movie night with Will?”

“Terrible!” Lydia huffed as she set her phone down, glaring at Nina. “He is the worst person to watch a movie with. He talked the entire time! And he hated Noah. I almost turned it off.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. The first time Lydia had shown her the film, Nina made the mistake of criticizing the main couple. She kept quiet on the subject ever since, if only to avoid Lydia’s lectures on what equated to ‘true love.’ “Are you free tomorrow night? We could do something, whatever you want?”

Despite her noncommittal hum, Lydia visibly brightened at the offer. “As long as you don’t get detention again. Sure.”

“I’ll try…” Nina trailed off as the class gathered around underneath the rock wall, where one girl clutched the colorful plastic. She could hear sharp intakes of breath as the girl — Erica Reyes, who was in Nina’s history class — held back sobs, Finstock shouting at her to just kick off from the wall. 

“Ugh,” Lydia sighed. “Just another freak-out.”

Nina’s brow rose. “You didn’t even try.”

“Hello, I just got my nails done. Why would I want to get them chipped?” Now inspecting her nails, Lydia paid no mind as the girl dropped from the wall. As she left the gym, tears brimming, Nina felt a sharp stab of pain behind her eyes.

Finstock let them all out early, morale distinctly lower after what happened. A few girls in the locker room checked on Erica, who was already changed due to her head start. “She could have sat out if she wanted to,” Lydia said to Allison and Nina, not caring if anyone overheard. “I bet she just wanted everyone to feel bad for her.”

Allison’s eyes widened. “ Whoa .” 

“What crawled up your ass and died?” Nina demanded, slamming her locker door. That was particularly brutal, even for Lydia.

“What?” Lydia applied a fresh coat of lip gloss in the mirror. She smacked her lips before closing her own locker with a smile. “I decided what I want to do tomorrow, Nini. We’ll go ice skating.”

She’d talk to her about the comment later. “Fine. Allison, are you free?”

“Sure.” Allison forced a smile. “I’ll see if Scott and Stiles can come too.” 

Lydia made a face, but didn’t say no. Instead, she gave the girls a tight-lipped smile and waltzed out of the locker room. After a moment, Allison spun on Nina, jaw dropped. “What the hell was that?”

If she had to guess, PTSD was the most obvious answer. It wasn’t an excuse to be a bitch to Erica, though. At the thought of her, Nina’s head thrummed with the same pain as earlier. “Did you see Erica leave?” Nina took a quick survey of the room, not finding frizzy blonde hair anywhere to be found. Outside the room, she heard feet running and shouting. Without another word, Nina bolted out of the locker room, Allison hot on her tail.

In the gym, Erica was falling from the rock wall. She would have hit the ground if Scott hadn’t caught her. “Put her on her side,” Allison instructed. 

Nina shrugged off her hoodie, placing it underneath Erica’s head. “Scott, let go of her.” He had her in a hold, attempting to stop the thrashing, but that wasn’t how to help someone in a seizure. Scott only stared at Nina, the protective instinct not letting him. “Let go!” Immediately, he did as he was told.

“Oh, God, should we call an ambulance?” Stiles knelt down next to Scott.

“No, only if it lasts longer than five minutes,” Allison answered.

“Start a timer, someone needs to go get Finstock and the nurse.” Only Stiles did as he was told, scrambling to set a timer for five minutes on his watch. Nina hated the bystander effect. “ Now! ” At that, five people scrambled out of the gym. Why did people only listen when she had to repeat herself?

~~~

All throughout chemistry, Nina was texting Allison underneath the table about the ice rink. Allison had the class during a different period, so she couldn’t even find solace in having someone she knew in her new classes. Well, knew and liked.

During group work, Matt turned around in his chair to smile at Nina. “What did you get for number five?” She slid her paper over to him. Matt’s mouth opened slightly, but then he just checked his answer. “Thanks. I, uh, got that too. I heard about what happened earlier, with Erica.”

“I’d really rather not talk about it.” Opening with something traumatic was definitely bold. Nina made a point to look at the clock. The period was almost up, as people started zipping up their bags. 

Matt, unfortunately, was not deterred. “I get it, that must have been really stressful. I just think it’s cool how you and Allison took charge like that.” Cool. Like if they hadn’t, Erica would have just been mildly inconvenienced instead of possibly dying. When Nina started packing up her own things, he continued. “Look, I’m sorry, if I did anything to offend you. But we haven’t even talked, so I don’t think you can—”

The bell rang. Nina slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out of the room, ignoring Harris’s protests about ‘the bell not dismissing them.’ 

Nina shoved her things in her locker, mentally ticking off a list of everything currently going wrong. Erica almost died. Isaac still hadn’t reached out, not that she really expected him to. He was a werewolf. Lydia was something . She couldn’t tell Lydia about it. Instead, she had to figure out how to get into the ice rink — which was apparently closed the next day, according to Allison, who said “Stiles has a plan.” Apparently finding something else to do out was out of the question. Now some random decided he was entitled to her time just because they were in the same class. Nina shut her locker and rested her forehead against it, taking a moment before she started walking to the cafeteria to meet Will for lunch.

“You ruin everything!”

And Jackson was harassing her best friend. Lydia was pressed up against the wall, eyes wide and glassy as Jackson practically screamed at her in the hallway, in her face. 

“Jackson!” Nina grit her teeth, temper flaring as Jackson rolled his eyes once she approached. “What is your problem?”

He sneered, glaring back at Lydia. “Ask her .”

“I’m asking you. ” She squared her shoulders, forcing herself in his eyeline. “Go be a dick to anyone else.”

The look in his eye when he glared at Nina would have made anyone else falter. “You know what? I’ve had to deal with your yapping ever since Lydia decided to keep you as a pet, and I’m done.” He shoved her shoulder to emphasize his point, multiple times, each one causing the blood in her ears to rush even more. “You are irrelevant to me. You’re nobody . So I’m gonna talk to my ex-girlfriend any way I want. Because after a year of listening to her bitching, I deserve it—”

She heard Lydia gasp as Nina’s fist collided with Jackson’s nose. Thankfully, the hall was empty at this point. Jackson stumbled, hands reaching for his face. “You bitch!”

Nina shook out her hand, expecting a full fist-fight with Jackson once his arm reeled back. Before he could throw a punch, however, a flash of blood-red hair appeared behind him, clutching his elbow. “Jackson, why don’t you head down to the nurse before you make this worse for yourself.” 

It wasn’t a question. Jackson attempted to rip his arm away from her, to no avail. “She hit me!”

“You laid your hands on her. Multiple times. Go to the nurse. And come to the office directly after. Understood?” Victoria’s eyes were as cold as ever, narrowing when he did not immediately fall in line. “ Understood ?”

“Y— yes, Ma’am.” Finally letting him go, Jackson nearly ran down the hall, glancing back as he did so. 

It wasn’t until he was out of sight that Victoria laid her hand on Nina’s shoulder. “Now, let’s go have a meeting with the principal.” She didn’t wait for Nina to respond, guiding her the opposite way. Nina looked back at Lydia, who stared at her with wide eyes before she ran off. Nina let out a sigh and faced forward.

Once they made it to the principal’s office, Gerard was working on something at his desk. He looked up at the two with a polite smile. “Miss Holmes, what a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Nina slumped in her seat as Victoria explained what happened and left, closing the door behind her and leaving Nina with the old man. 

Nina reached for the little box of tissues next to her chair, wiping the blood off her hand. “What will it be? Detention? Suspension?” Out of school suspension was unlikely with Gerard wanting her in one place for the entire day. 

“Neither.” Ah. Something else, then. She narrowed her eyes at him in silent question. “You were just defending your friend. And she’s been through so much already. How is Miss Martin? The last twenty-four hours must have been pretty rough for her.”

They wanted information. Nina wouldn’t give it to them. “I was busy last night.” Busy getting assaulted by a man impersonating an officer — a hunter impersonating an officer — to prevent the Argents from murdering a teenager.

Gerard knew that. “According to Allison, Miss Martin is quite popular. I assumed someone would be spending time with her. To make sure she’s alright.”

“With your resources, I assumed you would be keeping your own tabs. Especially in the last twenty-four hours.” Lydia had been just as much of an oversight for them as Nina, but she wasn’t going to let them know she was just as clueless. “If you’re really so concerned for her wellbeing, I suggest having her see the counselor.”

“That’s a good idea.” Gerard folded his hands together on top of the desk, giving her a smile that may have been convincing to anyone else. Suddenly, a timer went off, and Gerard let out a small sigh as he took out a small container of pills. “I envy your youth, Miss Holmes. I miss the days when I didn't have to take a pill cocktail every few hours just to keep my joints from aching too much.” With that, he popped a few of the pills in his mouth, taking a swig from his mug with them.

She hummed. “Youth doesn’t mean anything. I’ve had to take my own mix of pills for my migraines. It’s in my file.” She elaborated when his brow lifted.

Gerard eventually nodded in approval. “Chris was right when he said you have a good head on your shoulders. If anything, what happened in the gym this morning proves it. I don’t want you to be an enemy, Miss Holmes, I want you to be an ally. That starts with trust.”

“Trust is earned.”

“I agree with you.” His voice was still raspy from the coughing fit. “Of course, there should also be a level of mutual respect involved.”

Nina suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “Respect is also earned.”

“On the contrary, respect is given .”

“Respect for a person is given. Respect for an authority is earned. You don’t get to make an obvious move to control me by forcing me to be here the entire day and then pretend we’re equals.” Nina sat forward and glared at him. “Why are you here?”

Gerard lifted his chin and peered down at her. “I’m helping my family grieve after the death of my daughter.”

“By becoming the principal.” He only stared at her. Information for information. Luckily Nina was talented at making her own conclusions. “The person who killed your daughter was murdered by someone else. Revenge was taken. It’s over. ”

The smile that overtook his face made her uneasy. “Revenge, Miss Holmes? If that’s what you jump to, I think you should also have some appointments with our counselor, to deal with your aggression issues.”

“Fine. Is that all?” 

The smile tightened. “That’s all. You can go.”

Nina left the room, closing the door behind her. Jackson appeared at the entrance to the small enclave of offices and the secretary’s desk, making a point to harshly check Nina’s shoulder as she exited. Nina turned back to glare at him as Jackson did the same, wiping a dot of blood from under his nose.

It wasn’t until she got halfway to the lunchroom that she realized his blood looked weird . Nina looked down at the tissue she was still holding, seeing black liquid instead of red. 

~~~

It was a saving grace that Jen was a professor in the science department at Berkeley, as Nina’s student ID was no longer functioning. Her mother’s faculty ID worked just fine. 

As soon as she had seen the color of Jackson’s blood, she took a detour to Harris’s classroom, stealing a pack of microtubes from his desk. The blood hadn’t completely dried into the tissue, as there was a lot of it, and Nina was able to get a little less than a milliliter inside. That microtube sat opposite of an identical one filled with her own blood in a centrifuge, and would be for the next fifteen minutes as she examined various plants underneath a microscope.

She glanced up at the sound of the lab door opening, only to see Derek Hale. Hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, standing with his feet shoulder width apart. Nina held up her hand to ward him off. “Don’t come any closer.”

He only moved to lift both of his hands up in surrender. “I won’t hurt you. I just wanted to talk.”

Nina’s face scrunched up in confusion. “It’s not about that. I have wolfsbane here, and I don’t know how close you have to be for it to affect you. Let me put it away.” The slide she had been inspecting had a petal of the flower on it, and she stored that away in the sealed container of blank slides before sealing the vial of wolfsbane Deaton had given her back when it all started. When she finished, Derek still hadn’t moved, though he appeared more on guard. “There. What do you want?”

Derek stepped closer, leaning against one of the lab tables. “I wanted to thank you for helping get Isaac out of jail. And apologize for putting you in danger.”

Ugh. She couldn’t help but snort at his attempt to sound charming, voice light with a hint of a smile. “Do not talk to me like you talked to that cop. It’s creepy. Is this how you approached Isaac?”

“Noted.” He didn’t answer her question, but at least some of the faux-kindness left his demeaner. It was clear he was still going to appear as non-threatening as possible. “So, what do you say?”

He didn’t need to specify. Isaac. Now Nina, apparently. “Not interested. I doubt you are, either. Even your uncle admitted it would have been a mistake to turn me.”

Mentioning the sore subject was a risk, but Nina knew Derek wasn’t a threat to her. At least for now. He let out a sharp exhale. “I’m not Peter.”

“My point still stands.” She waved her hand dismissively and checked the timer on the centrifuge. Ten minutes. “Is Stiles getting this ‘thank you ?’”

“No.”

“And does Scott know you’re here?”

That seemed to set him off. “He won’t know.” She only stared at him, unimpressed with the vague threat. “I’m only asking you as a favor to Isaac.”

“That makes no sense. Isaac hates me.” Unless he thought the bite would kill her, which was a bit too extreme for turning down a date. 

Derek didn’t respond to her statement. “You can contact me if you change your mind. Don’t tell Scott about this. If he isn’t with us, he’s against us.”

Nina’s brow furrowed. “With the Argents against you? Seems a bit unwise.” Even for someone with only two weeks of experience in charge, but she didn’t say that out loud.

“Which is why I need a full pack.” Derek stepped forward once more. His tone was more in line with reasoning than bargaining. He wasn’t trying to convince her to take the bite — perhaps it was to get Scott on his side?

Either way, he wasn’t doing a good job. “That’s a terrible plan.” His nostrils flared at her words. “Multiple inexperienced ‘betas’ with an equally inexperienced ‘alpha’ taking on an entire organization of very experienced hunters ? If Isaac’s first full moon was any indication, I don’t think it will go well.”

At that point, Derek had lost all pretense of charm or care. “You don’t believe in the hierarchy?” She had been putting air quotes around alpha and beta, but she was sure he would have picked up on her disdain for the terms just from her voice.

“Of course not, it’s bunk. It was disproven years ago. Well, at least for real wolves.” He straightened at the mention of ‘real’ wolves. Nina tapped her nails on the countertop. “Tell you what, I won’t tell Scott about this if you answer my question. Mech, the man who published the research — did he falsely attribute it to wolves after observing werewolf behavior, or did werewolves like the idea of the ranking and adopt it afterwards? Because it definitely isn’t biological.”

“It’s real for us, and that’s what matters.”

Her shoulders deflated. “Come on, you don’t have a history book or something?”

“This isn’t something you can define by human scientific standard.”

She resisted the temptation to reply that she could certainly try. Nina sighed. She wouldn’t get any answers about it from Derek, so it was time to change course. “How is Isaac?”

Derek closed off even more. “He’s fine. Stay away from him. I don’t need him distracted.”

“You’re the one who wanted to add me to the pack.” His jaw set when she argued with him. “Besides, I’m sure he’ll stay away from me all on his own.”

Derek, for some reason, did not seem convinced. “He’s fine,” He repeated, folding his arms over his chest.

She knew she wouldn’t get much else from him. “Can you just — can he reach out to my mum to let her know he’s alright? She’s worried about him.” So was Will, but at least he knew what was going on. 

Slowly, Derek nodded. “Fine.” He turned and began to leave the room, stopping at the door to look back at her. “Don’t tell Scott.”

She’d kept worse secrets from him in the past week. She’d kept worse from him in the past few months . One more could either be small enough in comparison or break his trust in her entirely. Should she keep this one? It was a gamble. Nina sighed in resignation. “I won’t.”

He leveled her with a threatening stare, assessing if she was telling the truth or not. Satisfied, Derek gave her a nod before leaving the room. 

The key to telling a convincing lie was to tell the truth. Nina wouldn’t lie to Scott. She told Derek just that. She just didn’t vocalize the second half. 

After Derek was gone, the centrifuge whirred to a stop and her timer went off. She opened the machinery and took out both microtubes, examining them in the light of the window. Nothing out of the ordinary between the two. They looked identical, Jackson’s no longer black. She set them in the tube racks and began to prepare two new slides.

~~~

When Nina got home from the lab, Jen was alone in the kitchen, nursing a glass of wine as she was on the phone. Mick. He was the only person that made Jen want to drink. 

“I promise, she’s fine. She should be back from Berkeley any minute now.” She hadn’t heard Nina come in. “Well, maybe she would call you herself if talking to you was a pleasant experience.” Definitely Mick. Nina’s uncle was… harsh. She and Will never bothered to keep in contact once they were a country away. Neither did Mick. “Maybe have children of your own, and then come talk to me about being incompetent. We weren’t exactly well behaved at their age either, Mick! If you had it your way, they would be little assassins , not kids . They’re kids. ” Another pause. “I’m not doing this with you — oh, we’re losing service. Damn international calls. Bye!” 

The poor attempt at a lie was more to annoy Mick than to actually save face. Jen slammed her phone down on the counter and downed the rest of her wine, pushing herself up from her seat to go retrieve the bottle. She saw Nina out of the corner of her eye and spun, appearing guilty. “Oh, Nina. I… how much did you hear?”

“Just the tail end.” Nina sat down at the counter, Jen joining her, and she slid her faculty ID to her. 

Jen let out a relieved sigh. “Good. That was the most civil part of the conversation.” She filled the glass about a quarter of the way and took a sip, then held it in Nina’s direction. “Do you want to try some?”

She decided not to tell her that Natalie Martin had already given Nina alcohol before, wanting to make sure Lydia was ‘being safe’ about underage drinking. But she’d only ever had mixers with more juice than alcohol, not wine. Nina took the glass and tipped it to her lips. As soon as the red liquid touched her tongue, she grimaced.

Jen chuckled and took it back. “That was my reaction, too. I think drinking was the only thing my parents were lenient about. With everything else… you learn to like it.” She shook her head. “Maybe I’m too lenient with you and Will.”

How much had she been drinking before Nina got home? Nina rested her elbow on the cool granite as she faced her mother. “Well, Will’s a lot better than me. It’s probably just me, rather than a problem with anything you’re doing.”

“That is not a comfort, Darling.” Jen sighed and stared into the glass before she took a large drink.

Nina shifted in her seat. “I’m sorry that I’ve been—”

“Oh, God, Nina — it’s not your fault.” Jen took a sharp intake of breath and set her glass down, turning to face Nina completely as she put her hands on both of her shoulders. “I should have never implied that. It wasn’t your fault you were kidnapped. It wasn’t your fault you were attacked. It wasn’t your fault for talking to the police. Don’t do it again, but it wasn’t your fault.” One of her hands lifted from Nina’s shoulder to cup her cheek. “There was nothing you could have done. There was nothing you should have done. You’re a child. It is my responsibility to make sure you’re safe, and I… I failed.” She swallowed as her voice got thicker, eyes watering. 

Oh god. Nina tensed in panic at the sight of her mother about to cry. “No, you didn’t—”

“None of this would have happened if I had let you stay home from the formal like you wanted.” Jen slumped and wiped under her eyes. “When I was a child, Mick and I were never allowed to go to things like that. I wanted to make sure you could , and instead of letting it be your choice, I forced you.”

“If I accept it’s not my fault, will you accept it’s not yours?” She really wanted this to be over.

She heaved out a sigh. “I can try. You’re not grounded anymore. I was shit at enforcing it anyway. I told Deaton that you can go back to work, you just have to let him know when you’re ready.”

Slowly, Nina nodded. “Thanks.”

“You’ll have a curfew, though. I want you back no later than ten. Eleven on weekends.”

“What if I sleep over at a friend’s house?”

“Parent confirmation.” 

Nina nodded, already trying to figure out how to work around that. Natalie may lie for her, but after what happened with Lydia, it was unlikely. “Can we push it an hour later?” 

“Thirty minutes.”

“Deal.” 

Nina and Jen both got up from their chairs, her mother pulling her in for a tight hug as she pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “I love you.”

Nodding, Nina sunk further into the embrace. “I love you, too.”

Chapter Text

If Nina was allowed to declare only one enemy, it would be running. Or Coach Finstock, now that she was forced to be in his gym class.

Finstock had the class running laps as a warmup before they actually did anything — what that would be, he still had not decided. So laps it was. The clock was set for five minutes, and any time someone stopped, or walked, another thirty seconds would be added. Because of Greenburg, they were at seven. If Finstock played one more ska band over the speakers, she’d lose it.

“Did you take it?”

Nina glared at Scott. “If I did, I wouldn’t have sweat stains larger than my head just from trying to keep up with you!” She’d used the exercise to tell Scott about her impromptu visit from Derek, which was hard to do when out of breath.

Scott’s face fell. “Oh, sorry.” He slowed down his gait to a slower jog, and Nina was able to slow down herself. “So why did he ask you?”

Apparently, as a ‘favor’ to Isaac. Nina still didn’t understand it, but it was irrelevant to Scott. “Peter was trying to get me at the library.” They had to be vague so eavesdropping was less of a risk. “And then offered it again at the formal. He said it’s because he thought I would be a good influence on you.” Scott’s face twisted in confusion. “Yeah, I thought it was dumb too. He also said it’s ‘cause you respect me.”

“I do.” He gave her a smile as he ruffled his hair. “That’s why I was such a jerk when you told Allison she’d be better off not taking me back — which I’m still sorry about. Yeah, it hurt when Jackson and Lydia said it, but when you said it… I believed it. It hurt a lot. Almost as much as when you said we weren’t friends.”

Were they friends now? They’d been through a lot together in a short time period. She assisted in saving his life. She trusted him. He trusted her. The idea of Scott also being at the ice rink didn’t make her want to stay home. “Apology accepted,” She settled on, though at that point it wasn’t really needed. “We should think about who Derek might ask next. He approached Isaac, he’s a vulnerable kid who wanted to be able to stick up for himself. So we’re looking for someone who fits that criteria.”

“You don’t really fit that criteria, Nina.”

“Exactly. I said no. From now on, he’ll probably only ask the type of person he knows would say yes.”

Slowly, Scott nodded. “Alright. So we’re looking for a teenager who is vulnerable and has something to prove. Shouldn’t be hard.”

They shared an unsure look.

~~~

During chemistry, Nina received a pass to go to the counselor’s office during lunch. She’d packed a lunch from home, so she didn’t have to make a detour to the cafeteria beforehand, and was now sitting in front of Miss Morrell in a cheap armchair as she stabbed her pasta with a fork. “Do you know what a mandated reporter is?”

“You have to report it if I say anything that sounds like I intend on hurting myself or another person.” Nina was seated sideways in the chair, her back pressed against one green pleather arm while her legs dangled over the other.

Morrell nodded. “Mister Argent mentioned you were having some issues adjusting to the change in your schedule. I see that you received detention earlier this week, the first day that change was implemented?”

“Yes.”

When it became clear that Nina was not going to continue, Marin folded her arms over her desk. “You’ve been through a lot, Nina. It’s normal to be angry, especially when something seemingly unrelated is pulled out from under you. But I can’t help you if you don’t give me anything to work with.”

“I didn’t ask to be here, anyway. That was an order from Gerard.” Morrell made no move to correct her from calling him by his first name. “How do you make sure your files on students can’t be accessed when you’re teaching half of the day? They aren’t very secure.”

She paused at the change in subject. “They’re in a locked file cabinet in a locked room.” Nina didn’t respond, only taking another bite of food as she stared at her French teacher and now-counselor. Morrell exhaled. “I don’t write down what students and I talk about in our meetings. Files only contain the base information needed by the district administration.”

“How do you remember it all?”

Morrell tilted her head and smiled. “The same way you ace every assignment and exam in my class — and other classes, I assume — despite never taking notes. Good aural and visual memory.” So a physical file would be useless to anyone who wanted to use it. That meant nothing if the room was bugged. Sensing Nina’s reluctance, Morrell glanced at her clock. “If you really don’t want to talk, that’s alright. Can I talk?”

“It’s your office.”

She tapped her fingers on her desk. “I don’t know the details of what happened during the formal. Only what’s available to the public. But I do know that you were traumatized, and I want to help with that. If I ask why you got detention, will you tell me?”

Nina suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as she sighed, telling Morrell the basic story. As she did so, her fork pushed around remaining noodles and vegetables, separating them into sections. “I know, I have to pick my battles. I just—”

“Wanted control back.” She looked back up at Morrell, not fully lifting her head. “You were put in a position where you had no control. Then, once it was over, found adults taking it away from you again, over things that don’t matter, and acting like you were in the wrong for being upset. It’s natural to lash out about it. Everything happening now is a result of what has happened before.”

Gerard being in Beacon Hills was a result of Kate dying. Kate being in Beacon Hills was a result of Peter killing those involved with the arson. The arson was a result of… either a specific trigger event, or just general bigotry, which would have been a result of something before that, and so on. Nina shifted so she sat upright, lifting her legs into the chair and crossing them as her lunch sat in her lap. “So how do I stop it?”

“You can’t,” She answered simply, keeping her voice light. “You can only manage it. This may not be comforting to hear, but control is a myth. It doesn’t really exist. Life is about balance. Anyone who tries to tip the scales in their favor will face natural consequences.”

“Like getting detention,” Nina said, unimpressed.

“And getting undermined by a student over something as trivial as not showing work on a quiz,” Morrell added. “You’re a smart girl, Nina. Look at the bigger picture of how your actions will affect others, and how the actions of others will affect you. Have a plan.”

Nina lifted her head, brows furrowed in confusion. “A plan for what?” 

“For the consequences.” 

There was a tonal shift as Morrell straightened, taking on a more official persona. It seemed more genuine than her attitude before, with her eyes cold and expression neutral. “One detention won’t affect much,” Nina said. Something told her this conversation wasn’t about detention anymore, but if Morrell wasn’t going to specify, neither would she.

“Maybe not.” Morrell nodded. “Or, maybe, it will get more eyes on you. More excuses for Harris or other teachers to send you to the principal’s office. More reasons for Mister Argent to label you as a problem. More ways to influence more than just your time at school. Maybe he’ll decide you need professional help from someone else. Someone he trusts.”

Nina’s eyes narrowed. She was warning her against Gerard. “Right.” 

The office phone rang, and Morrell glanced at the number. “I have to take this. You’re free to go.”

She made no move to answer the phone as Nina stood. Once she was at the door, Morrell called her back once more. “Keep your head down.”

As Nina was on her way to spend the rest of the lunch period in the library, Scott and Stiles came in through the front doors, shoulders low. “What happened?”

Scott frowned. “Erica’s the next beta.”

~~~

By the time Nina made it to the ice rink, Scott and Stiles were already at the doors, the latter fumbling with the ring of keys. Scott waved at her as Stiles tugged the incorrect key out of the lock and dropped the ring. “Hey, I talked to Deaton, but all he did was give me a raise.”

Nina’s brow lifted. “Congratulations.” Their only other resource was also a bust. Nina blew her hair out of her face, hands stuffed in her pockets to escape the chill of the night air.

“I don’t know if we should do this tonight. I mean, shouldn’t we be looking for whoever Derek is going to turn next?”

The very idea seemed to offend Stiles greatly, as he gaped at Scott and nearly dropped the keys again. Nina only sighed. “If you would like to approach every single teenager in Beacon Hills and ask them if a strange man in his twenties has asked them if they want to be a werewolf, be my guest. But something tells me that may not yield many results.” 

Scott nodded reluctantly. “I just don’t like feeling like I’m doing nothing.” 

She and Scott saw Allison’s car pull into the parking lot. As Allison and Lydia got out of the car, Nina turned back to the door. Yet another key failed. “Stiles, can I try?” 

He’d been stringing curses together underneath his breath. “No, it’s fine, I got it. There are, like, ten million keys here. One of them has to be right.”

Allison and Lydia were now approaching. She was starting to shiver. “It’s freezing out, just give me the keys.”

“I know it’s freezing, I’ve been out here for ten minutes — hey, guys!” He had turned to address Nina directly, falling against the door in a ‘casual’ lean when he finally noticed Lydia and Allison were now also at the doors and waiting. Nina took the opportunity to step forward, yanking the key from the lock. “Hey!”

Ignoring his protests, Nina used the light above to examine the keys. The very first one on the ring was engraved with three letters. EXT. Exterior. Nina stuck the key inside as Stiles bitterly muttered under his breath, “Sure, try the first key, I didn’t think of that one.” She turned the key to the right until it stopped, then back to the left until she heard the deadbolt retract, and swung the door open. Lydia sprung forward, wrapping herself around Nina’s arm as she dragged her inside excitedly. Behind her, Stiles let out a defeated sigh. She turned around and gave him a shrug.

Lydia was eager to bring Nina onto the ice with her, despite the fact that she hadn’t even finished tying up her skates. “Will is texting,” She excused lamely, looking up at Lydia. She’d told him about the interaction with Derek, and he was now blowing up her phone about it. 

“If he was going to take up your time, he should have come.”

“I’ll let him know. Five minutes?” She pleaded.

Lydia pursed her lips and huffed. “Two.” She didn’t wait for Nina to confirm before gliding into the rink. 

A few columns of seats down, Scott and Allison were flirting at the entrance of the ice. She was sending a final ‘I’ll talk to you later’ to her brother when she heard a loud thump , and found Allison standing alone on the ice with her hands over her mouth. A second later, Scott’s head popped up over the opaque part of the guard. 

“Oh, thank god.” He had been talking to himself, but when Nina looked up at Stiles, he elaborated. “If he was suddenly perfect at another thing, I might have strangled myself.”

Nina snorted. “Agreed.” She turned back to finish lacing up one of her skates.

Never one to leave a conversation, Stiles continued. “Do you know how to skate? Seems like Lydia’s an expert.”

Sure enough, Lydia was in the middle of a complicated spin. “She’s taken me here before,” Nina answered. “I have mastered the art of not falling on my face. If that counts as knowing how.”

Once Nina started lacing up the second skate, Stiles sat next to her. “Still better than me, which is annoying. When we were in middle school, I tried hockey. My dad’s videos of old games make me look like a lacrosse pro in comparison.” At the amused look she gave him, he relented. “Alright, not a pro , but significantly better… slightly better, geez, stop it!”

Nina laughed. “I didn’t say anything!”

“You don’t have to! You’re able to get your message across with just a look, it’s freaky.”

As soon as Nina finished tying her laces, Lydia appeared at the doorway. “Come on!”

“Alright, alright!” Nina laughed again and stood, taking a second to get used to the new balance before Lydia grabbed her hand and began pulling. Once she was on the ice, she nearly fell from being dragged, but she was able to push herself forward and keep up with Lydia’s stride. 

“Arms up.”

“I feel like an idiot.”

“You look like an idiot.”

Nina glared at Lydia, who was forcing Nina to learn basic figure skating moves. They were trying to work up to Nina being able to skate with one leg, lifting a knee as she went in large circles. It wasn’t going well. “You are such a — argh! ” Her foot jerked back, propelling her forward. She was able to catch herself before she face-planted. 

Lydia skated over to her and knelt down. “At least you know how to fall correctly.”

Letting out a dry laugh, Nina rested on her knees and shoved Lydia’s shoulder. Lydia fell on her butt with a shriek as Nina laughed. “At least you know how to fall correctly,” She repeated, pitching her voice higher.

“I hate you,” Lydia huffed. As both girls moved to get back up, Nina struggling more in the process, Lydia paused. “Why are there flower petals?”

“Huh?” Nina wobbled slightly as she stood, looking down at Lydia. Her fingers were pinched together as though she were holding something, but nothing was there. “What are you talking about?”

“On the ice.” Lydia’s voice got softer as her gaze looked ahead. “Petals.”

Lydia stood and glided forward, Nina following slightly behind. “There’s nothing on the ground. Lydia?” 

She got no further response as Lydia continued on until she halted, staring down at a fixed point on the ice. Nina called her name to no avail and glanced over at Stiles, who was watching with his brow furrowed. Lydia knelt down once more and began wiping at the ice.

“Lydi?” Nina got down on her knees next to Lydia and placed her hand on her shoulder. At the contact, Lydia immediately let out a high-pitched scream that pierced through the air. The intensity of it would have knocked Nina off her feet if she had still been standing. Tears sprung to Nina’s eyes as she tried to pull Lydia away. 

A hand on her arm brought Nina’s attention away for a moment. “What happened?” Stiles’s head bounced between the two of them as he knelt down on the other side of Lydia.

“I don’t know, she just—” The flowers. Was she having a hallucination? Lydia was still transfixed on the same spot. Nina ripped her jumper off, throwing it on top of the ice.

“ No , he’s—” Lydia stopped screaming when she pushed the jumper away, her face contorting in confusion and horror as tears welled up. Her mouth opened and closed, trying to find the words, until finally fell into Nina’s arms and began to sob.

~~~

“Has she been sleeping?” As Lydia took Prada outside, Nina went to Natalie. She was having a glass of wine in the kitchen when Nina brought Lydia home, and was still there. It was about half an hour till her curfew, and it was a fifteen-minute drive. She had time to spare.

Natalie tilted her head. “Yeah, why? She had a little trouble at first, but since her doctor prescribed her Ambien, she’s been getting a full eight hours.”

Nina bit back a sigh. “Who’s her doctor?” When Natalie gave the name, Nina closed her eyes. “Get a second opinion. I’ve dealt with him before, he’s an idiot. Is she on any other medications?” If it wasn’t a supernatural cause, the Ambien would explain the hallucinations.

“The doctor wanted to put her on an antidepressant, but Lydia said no. Did something happen?”

Nina debated over telling her. If it was supernatural, getting Natalie involved would be useless. But since Nina was already giving her medical opinion, she needed to give at least some information. “She had a nervous breakdown at the ice rink. It was minor, it only lasted a minute. But some medications can have adverse side effects, so… it’s worth talking to another doctor about it.”

Natalie’s eyes widened. “Thank you for letting me know. I’ll call tomorrow. I…” She paused before chuckling as she shook her head. “You know, Nina, sometimes when I talk to you, I forget you’re Lydia’s age. How are you doing?”

She wasn’t the one who had a possibly-magical hallucination. “I’m fine.”

“Nini? Are you sleeping over?” Lydia entered the kitchen, Prada following close behind.

It was probably for the best. Then she could make sure she was okay over night. Nina looked over at Natalie, who didn’t seem opposed to the idea. “Sure. I just have to let my mum know.” 

“Oh, I’ll call Jen.” Natalie stood and waved Nina off. “You still have clothes left over here, right? Or will you need to run home?”

“She can borrow mine if needed.” Lydia grabbed Nina’s hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and back up the stairs as she shouted “Goodnight, mom!” over her shoulder.

In Lydia’s bedroom, Nina sat on the edge of her bed and lifted Prada into her lap. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“About what?” Lydia gave her a terse smile that signaled she didn’t want Nina to specify and turned on her TV. “We’re watching The Notebook. If you say anything that isn’t nice about it, I will kill you.”

Nina said nothing during the movie. She also said nothing when it made Lydia cry more than usual, just pulling her closer until she finally fell asleep.

~~~

In gym class the next day, Erica made sure to show everyone her new athletic prowess. She was at least smart enough to make it look impressive, but not impossible . At Scott’s instructions, he would be the one to talk to her, and everyone else should steer clear for their own safety. Nina wouldn’t have listened if Erica hadn’t made it a point to never allow the opportunity to approach her.

So, Nina tried to carry on with her day like normal. Even if every absence in her first three classes of the day was a new item on the Could-Be-A-Werewolf-Now list. Adam Adams (an unfortunate name for an equally unfortunate person), Vernon Boyd, Isabella Moreno, Avery Thomas, and Javi Torres. Any of them could be currently growing fangs and claws.

On her way to lunch, Stiles jogged to catch up with her. “Hey,” He grinned a little too wide, a little too friendly. “Uh, how’s Lydia?”

She was also out of school that day. But that was an absence Nina could account for. “She’s better.”

“She’s better,” Stiles repeated. “That’s it? You’re not going to give me anything else?”

“What else is there to ‘give you,’ exactly?” Nina asked coolly, her eyes narrowing on him. 

They were still walking, the cafeteria at the end of the hall. “Uh, literally anything ?” Stiles threw his hands out in exasperation. “Especially when she could be a supernatural creature with a tail —”

Nina shushed him. “She’s doing fine. I spent the night at her house, and aside from a little sleep talking, nothing happened.”

“Sleep talking? What was she talking about?” Nina rolled her eyes and said nothing. “Why aren’t you answering? Is it… was she talking about me?”

Halting completely, Nina spun to face stiles, deadpan. “Stiles, look me in the eye right now and tell me you genuinely believe that after having a nervous breakdown , Lydia was talking in her sleep about you .” She placed her hands on her hips, eyes wide as she stared at him expectantly.

Stiles’s mouth shifted into different shapes as he debated his words. “Yeah, okay, probably not.” He chattered on as they continued walking.

The truth was, Lydia had been talking about someone in her sleep. But Nina was only able to garner a first name from it. Peter . Part of her wanted to believe it was anyone else. Peter was a common enough name, and Lydia had never even met him, save for the attack on the field, and Nina doubted he stopped to tell her his name. But his name and a drawn portrait was all over the news following his death, and it wasn’t impossible for Lydia to have heard it.

“— And last night was pretty much a rejection, right? With the shirt?”

Thankfully, Nina hadn’t tuned him out completely. She’d witnessed the failed attempt at flirting, when Stiles offered Lydia a neon orange t-shirt and tried to claim that two opposites could be good together. To which Lydia immediately redirected it to mean Scott and Allison. “Yeah, it was definitely a rejection.” Stiles opened the door to the cafeteria, waving Nina through.

Stiles let out a disappointed sigh. “I figured. And, y’know, with what she’s going through, it probably isn’t a good time to try and see what a relationship between us would be like.” 

“And the fact that you’d enter a ‘relationship’ lying to her,” Nina replied, putting heavily dubious emphasis on ‘relationship.’

“Says her best friend who’s also lying to her.”

“Touche.”

“Look, I’m trying to say that you were probably right, at the hospital, and I — hold on!” Stiles grabbed Nina’s shoulder and wrenched her back, pointing in the distance. “Look!”

Nina’s brow furrowed. He was pointing at an empty table in the middle of the lunchroom. “Do you… want to sit there?” 

He had the nerve to look at her like she was an idiot. “No, that’s Boyd’s table.”

“Right, I forgot to spend my time memorizing where everyone sits during lunch,” She replied as Stiles scoffed. “Wait, Boyd? Vernon Boyd?” He nodded furiously. “He wasn’t in my history class today.”

Stiles immediately grabbed Nina’s wrist and pulled her across the cafeteria to Scott, where Allison was getting up at the same time. Stiles gave the same spiel to Scott, and she was then dragged back out of the lunchroom as Scott began to plan.

“I’ll go to the ice rink, see if he’s there. And if he’s not at home, call me. Nina, can you come with me?”

“What? Why me?”

Scott turned to look back at her. “You’ve said no to the bite twice . I need you to tell Boyd why you said no.”

“We’re not exactly the same person, Scott. The reason I said no may not apply to him.” 

Stiles nodded. “Yeah, man. Maybe we should let him.” Scott stopped and stared at Stiles incredulously. “It’s Boyd, y’know? You said Derek’s giving them the choice.”

“Your father might have something to say about the law regarding an adult man approaching emotionally vulnerable teenagers,” Nina countered. “At risk of it sounding like a dog joke, the legal term is grooming .”

“Whose side are you on, anyway?”

“The side which makes the most sense. So… my own.”

Stiles made a face. “You gotta admit, Erica looks… pretty good . The word ‘sensational’ comes to mind.”

“The supernatural wonders of makeup and a curling iron,” She drawled. 

“Exactly!” Scott gestured to her. “And how do you think she’s gonna look with a wolfsbane bullet in her head?”

“I’m just saying, maybe this one isn’t your responsibility.” 

That, Nina could agree with. When Scott looked at her expectantly, she merely shrugged. “I… they are,” He defended. “You both know this is going to get out of control. That makes me responsible.”

Those two things weren’t related at all. But her mind went to Isaac. She couldn’t let him be caught in the crossfire. “Alright, I’m with you,” Stiles sighed. “And I also gotta say, this newfound heroism is making me very attracted to you.”

Scott let out a laugh. “Shut up, let’s go.”

“Wait, now?” Nina stopped, pulling her arm from Stiles’s hand. She’d nearly forgotten he was still holding her wrist; it looked like he’d forgotten as well, from the way he stared at his hand. “It’s the middle of the school day.”

Stiles looked back up at her, his face scrunched up in confusion. “You have, like, the highest number of absences in Beacon Hills history. Why do you care about attendance all of a sudden?”

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “I already punched Jackson earlier this week, I can’t—”

“ What ?” Both boys stared at her, jaws dropped. “How could you do that?” Stiles demanded.

“I know!” Nina groaned. “It was already a stressful day, I shouldn’t have—”

“No, how could you do that when I wasn’t there to see it?” He seemed genuinely distressed. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been wanting to see him get decked for years , I — you’re my hero! I’m going through such a mix of emotions right now.”

Nina couldn’t help the smile that grew. “I can’t skip,” She said in an attempt to get back on track. Morrell’s advice echoed in her ear. She was already pushing her luck with the detention and assaulting Jackson, she didn’t need to add skipping half of the day to her list. “You two can go ahead without me.”

“No shot, you’re the muscle.” Scott stared at Stiles. “What? You had your chance.”

Shaking his head, Scott turned back to Nina. “Stiles is right. I really think you should be there with me. We can go after lacrosse practice.”

Reluctantly, Nina agreed. It was worth a shot.

~~~

They did not go after practice. First, Nina needed to drop Will off at home. Then, Melissa called Scott and asked if he could get her some dinner from the nearby Chinese food place, as a coworker at the hospital ate her food and she was working a double. She then talked to him for an additional fifteen minutes while Nina sat in the car. Beacon Hills was a small town, but it wasn’t that small, as going back and forth in traffic had prolonged the drive by two hours. It was dark by the time they reached the doors to the ice rink. 

Scott pulled the handle, and the door didn’t open. “Stiles still has the keys,” He said hopelessly. “What do we do?”

Nina’s brow furrowed as she stared at him. “You have super strength, you can’t get through a locked door?”

“I… but that’s a crime.”

“Yeah. It is.” She should have gone with Stiles. It would have taken longer, but he would have been fine with breaking in. “Would you like me to list every crime we’ve all committed in the past week ?”

Scott sighed. “No, I got it.” He wrenched the door open, and they were in. 

Luckily, Boyd was on the ice. They both stepped forward, their shoes helping the ice be not as slippery. “Boyd! I just wanna talk.” Boyd ignored Scott and continued. “C’mon, Boyd, please? Did Derek tell you everything? And I don’t mean just going out of control on the full moons, I mean everything ?”

Finally, Boyd stopped the zamboni. “He told me about the hunters,” He answered.

“That’s it?” Scott and Boyd both turned to Nina. “There’s more than just hunters. Other werewolves come to mind. We were almost killed by one the night of the formal.” 

“Peter’s dead.” So Derek did tell him about that. 

“He is. It happened about… three weeks ago? That’s how long Derek has been an ‘alpha,’ just in case you weren’t aware.” Boyd only stared at her. “He asked me if I wanted the bite the other day. And while I have my own reasons for saying no, the bottom line is that he just doesn’t know what he’s doing. And instead of trying to learn how to do it himself, he’s a grown man hanging outside a high school for anyone lonely enough to approach him — no offense, I have a point. If you choose to accept the bite, fine. But Derek will be a shit teacher.”

“I just want to not eat lunch alone every day!”

At his outburst, Nina and Scott shared a look. Was it that bad for him? Enough that he would risk death? Scott sighed and peered back up at Boyd. “If you’re looking for friends, you can do a lot better than Derek.”

“That really hurts.” At the sound of Derek’s voice, Nina let out an audible groan. She and Scott turned to face him, as he was flanked by Isaac and Erica to his left. All were dressed in matching leather jackets. “I mean, if you’re going to review me, at least take a consensus.”

“This is hardly a consensus,” Nina snorted. “For a sample to be considered reliable, you need at least thirty participants, and—”

“Erica.” Rude. Derek gestured to her. “How’s life been for you since we met?”

Twisting her hair around her finger, Erica hummed as she pretended to think it over. “In a word… transformative.”

“Did you come up with that one yourself or was it a group effort?” Nina’s question prompted Erica to growl at her, which was probably supposed to be more threatening than it was.

“Isaac?” Derek moved on.

Isaac shrugged. The entire time, he hadn’t looked at Nina once, only focused on Derek or Scott. “I’m a little bummed about being a fugitive, but other than that, I’m great.” Nina bit back a comment about how he’d almost died already. It didn’t seem to be on his list of priorities.

Isaac and Erica both stepped forward and Scott moved in front of Nina, his arms out to guard her. “Hold on! This isn’t exactly a fair fight.”

Derek only grinned. “Then go home, Scott.”

Scott looked back at Nina, his fangs growing in. “Get out of here.” She nodded and slowly backed away to avoid slipping as Scott punched the ground, the ice cracking underneath his fist. “I meant fair for them .”

Ugh. Were all werewolf fights so cliche? Maybe something was wrong with her for not taking it more seriously. As Nina moved around the zamboni, Boyd leaned down and held his hand out. Nina took it, taking note of how Boyd winced as he helped her onto the vehicle. “Too late, huh?” She asked as she settled on the back.

Boyd gave her a small smile as he shrugged. “The speech probably wouldn’t have worked anyway. No offense,” He said, referencing her own words. 

“None taken. Never really cared for public speaking.” She watched the blur of leather fight below them, the zamboni rustling slightly as they knocked into it. “You really want to be a part of Grease on Ice?”

She felt a small swell of pride as Boyd chuckled at the joke. “I like Grease.” At her incredulous stare, he added, “It’s catchy.”

Nina snorted. “Fair.” 

She winced as Isaac flew across the rink, landing into the plastic guard on the other side. She never wanted this for him. Part of her knew, logically, that it wasn’t her fault Isaac was a werewolf. But she was at least partially responsible for him feeling like he needed to take the bite in the first place. That’s why he hated her, wasn’t it?

It didn’t take long for both Erica and Isaac to crumple in a heap. “Don’t you get it?” He demanded. “He’s not doing this for you! He’s just adding to his power, it’s all about him. He’s making you feel like he gave you some powerful gift, but all he’s done is turn you into a bunch of guard dogs!” Scott grabbed Isaac by the neck and slid him over to Derek’s feet, doing the same with Erica.

“It’s true,” Derek said. “It is about power.”

He stalked forward, and Scott got ready to fight. Nina had a feeling this wouldn’t end well. “Scott, Boyd’s already bit. It’s useless. We should go.” He didn’t even look up at her.

“You should listen to her.” Derek’s eyes glowed red as he extended his claws. “But you won’t. It’s about power for you too.”

“No it isn’t,” Scott growled.

Derek struck first with a headbutt, then slashed him across the torso. Nina hadn’t even realized she was gearing up to get off of the zamboni until Boyd grabbed her arm. “Are you insane? You’re just a human, no way you’re getting in between that.”

She hadn’t come armed. Boyd was right, it would be really stupid to get in the middle of a fight like that. But when Scott fell to the ground and spit up blood, she wasn’t going to just sit there and watch the rest. Nina clambered off the zamboni, holding the edge so she wouldn’t slip. “Stop!”

He stopped his assault on Scott to stare at her. She couldn’t tell if it was just what he looked like as a werewolf, but Derek appeared… confused. His eyes faded, and eventually his features did too. Eyeing Nina warily, he stepped back, Erica and Isaac flanking him once more. Then, Boyd joined them.

Scott lifted his head. “You don’t want to be like them.”

“You’re right.” Boyd glanced at Nina, and then back to Scott. “I want to be like you.”

They all walked away without another word. She waited for them to leave before she went to Scott’s side. “Are you alright? Why aren’t you getting up?”

He groaned over labored breathing. “I don’t think I’m healing.”

“Oh, shit.” She knelt down and took off her jacket, pressing it to the gashes. Scott let out a harsh grunt. “Do you need help standing?”

It took about ten minutes to get Scott to his feet, one arm around Nina’s shoulders as she hoisted him up. He was able to walk on his own once they got to the clinic; he was healing, albeit slowly. 

“Why is it taking so long?” He asked once they were inside.

“Because it’s from an alpha.” In the examination room, they found Deaton with a body on the table. A dead body. Deaton looked at them both solemnly. “I think we’d better have that talk now. All of us.”

As he patched up Scott’s wounds, Nina examined the body on the table. A hunter, according to Deaton. And the Argents would be back for him. Jagged, vertical slash wounds covered the body’s entire torso, up to the neck. No other visible wounds, unless she started poking around. 

“This… this is something different,” Deaton said about what caused the wounds.

“Do you know what did this?”

“No. But the Argents will, and this is the crucial part — they’ll have some sort of record, or book. It’ll have descriptions, histories, notations of all of the things they’ve discovered.”

“And you don’t?” Nina demanded. “That’s not very convenient.”

“I don’t keep written records. They’re too easy to steal.” Deaton gave her a pointed look — that’s exactly what he was telling them to do. “And I’ve never come across something like this.”

She wanted to pull her hair out. “What can you tell us?” 

“That it’s dangerous, and to tread lightly.”

The bell over the front door jingled, and Deaton ushered the two into the back supply room. 

~~~

Scott and Nina weren’t able to leave until another fifteen minutes after the Argents left, when Deaton gave Nina the same spiel he’d given them. Paralytic toxin. Its only function was to kill. And it had a tail. That last part, they were able to give to Deaton. With the promise that Nina would be back to work that weekend, they left, and Nina was thankful she had bothered to park behind the clinic where the Argents wouldn’t have seen her car. 

Five minutes past curfew. Not the worst crime in the world, but she was already pushing her luck. She spent the entire ride up the elevator trying to find a good excuse, but each one sounded lamer than the last. Lydia could be her alibi. She’d hold it over Nina’s head, but she would take the fall for her getting home late. Nina just needed a real reason. One more episode of Grey’s Anatomy?

Nina let out a sigh as she unlocked the door, getting ready to face Jen’s disappointment. All the words died in her throat, however, at the sight of Jen, Will, and someone else all sitting in the living room, the stranger’s back facing her.

The man turned around, a disapproving raise in his brow as her uncle Maurice peered at Nina over the frames of his glasses. “Nina. It’s a school night.”

Chapter Text

Open books surrounded the table as Nina and Will both pored over multiple at a time. The mythology and folklore sections at the Beacon Hills library were stacked, and now the twins both knew the reason why. It would take the entire day to get through the large tomes, but that was something Nina was grateful for. With Mick at home, it was a convenient excuse to avoid him.

Mick was the source of Nina and Will’s street smarts. Growing up, Jen wanted the twins to focus on their schooling and social life. Mick, a private investigator, made sure that when he wasn’t working, he was teaching them the more… unconventional methods of survival. How to distract and evade in a fight, how to lie to a polygraph, how to shoot a moving target, and how to cheat the law. Nina found herself using his teachings now more than she ever had. It was annoyingly applicable. While Jen tried to teach passivity and diplomacy — as much as she could, anyway, without being a hypocrite, Mick had always encouraged them to be active and borderline adversarial. Jen taught the twins how to pick their battles; Mick taught them the most efficient way to pick all of them. 

From what they knew, Jen and Mick had been estranged for about seven years before the twins were born. She emancipated herself at seventeen, immediately moved abroad, and years later, while she was eight months pregnant, her boyfriend at the time died. Without any other support, as their parents had passed during her time away, she called Mick.

“You told me to get myself and the twins out of London. I did that.” Jen glared at Mick as she moved about the kitchen, getting out pots and pans while Mick washed and cut the ingredients. 

“I told you to leave until I knew it was safe to come back. It’s safe now. I didn’t tell you to come back here , and I definitely didn’t tell you to stay .” 

“Do you honestly expect me to uproot us again just because you said so?” 

Nina, who had been passing through to get herself water, made eye contact with her mother. Jen’s mouth dropped slightly as her eyes widened. Come back here? Mick noticed Jen pause and lowered the green onions and knife. “You didn’t tell them? What else are you keeping from them?”

She would ask her mother about it later. For now, she wasn’t going to give Mick any additional ammo. “It’s none of our business where Mum lived before us. Quite frankly, it’s none of your business, either.”

“I would agree, if—”

Jen turned on Mick, her glare intensifying. “That’s enough, Mickey.”

His expression became icy. “Don’t call me that.”

Nina tossed another book onto the ‘nothing’ pile and rubbed her eyes. They were looking for a creature with the ability to paralyze its victims, had a tail, and apparently, after what happened at the garage Friday night, was reptilian. 

That final detail was only given to her an hour prior by Stiles, when she let him and Scott know she was going to the library to research and wanted to make sure they were all on the same page. When she asked how they found out, all she’d gotten was a vague “I saw it at the mechanic” text. And then Will told her about what he heard over his police radio. A man was crushed by a car lift, found after the fact by a teenage boy. It was easy enough to fill in the blanks.

Dinner was quiet. The only sounds were that of silverware against ceramic. Jen was practically shoveling the food into her mouth to avoid the pointed stares from Mick. When it became clear she wasn’t going to start the conversation on her own, Mick sighed. 

“Why are you here?” As soon as Mick opened his mouth to speak, Will interrupted him. 

Mick tilted his head. “After everything you two have been through, I’m not allowed to be worried?”

“You didn’t even phone.”

He took a deep breath. “We have an eight-hour time difference, and I’ve been busy with an important case. After I heard about what’s been going on here, I decided to make sure you were alright, because it’s obvious no one else has.” Mick shot a look at Jen.

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Nina snapped. “You don’t get to just drop in when it’s convenient and act like we’ve been lost without you. We’ve been just fine.”

“I’m not sure your hospital bills would agree,” Mick replied coolly. “Which I help pay for, by the way.”

“So it’s a financial issue?” Nina tested, gripping her fork. Jen tried to step in, but Nina continued. “You want a thank you? Thank you, Dear Uncle Mickey, for contributing to your family. Is that enough, or would you like a parade as well?”

His face soured at the nickname. He preferred Maurice. He could tolerate Mick. But Mickey, without fail, always twisted under his skin. “I wouldn’t need anything if you lived somewhere with free healthcare. Like back home.”

“She is not your prop ,” Will seethed. “This is our home, because of you. You sent us away.”

Mick stared Jen down. “Would you like to step in before we have a repeat of earlier?”

Jen sighed and closed her eyes. “Mick is trying his best. He cares, and this is how he shows it.”

“How generous of you,” He sneered. 

“Why can’t they separate the categories by breed instead of location of origin?” Will demanded, flipping through a book on German folklore. “This would be so much easier.”

Their first method of research, when faced with their book selection, was to look specifically at North and South American regions. They didn’t get far before Will pointed out that the current advancements in travel meant that anyone — or any thing — could easily move.

Nina sighed. His complaining was grating, even if he was right. “We should look at areas where reptiles are culturally significant. Africa, South America, South Asia. Places like that.”

“But reptilians in mythology and folklore are recorded all over the world.”

“Then we’ll be here the same amount of time anyway. We may as well have a plan.” She stood, grabbing the pile of what they already went through. Five books, six once Will added his own, rested in Nina’s arms as she returned to the shelves. Behind her, she could hear him mutter the same words under his breath. Idiot. 

In the correct section, Nina knelt down and started putting the folklore books back on the shelf. It was nearly empty with the amount that Will and Nina had already taken, but she could still put them in order.

“Isn’t that the librarian’s job?” 

Nina looked up to see Danny approach her with an economics book tucked under his arm. She stood, only two books left which needed to go in the mythology section two shelves down. “I figured I’d make it easier for Marta. What are you doing here?”

Danny lifted the book slightly. “Finstock got to choose the textbooks this year, and they kind of suck. So I decided to check out something else.” She nodded, and there was an awkward silence that followed. They hadn’t really talked in a while. “How are you?”

“I’m alright.” She usually hated that type of small talk, where there was a script to follow, but Danny wasn’t asking for a stock response. The wrinkle in his brow as he gave her a small smile showed he actually cared. “It’s just been…”

“A lot,” He finished. Nina nodded again. “Yeah, Jackson’s been having a hard time, too. Well, more than usual.” 

Did he know about the punch? He wasn’t acting like it. And Jackson didn’t seem like the type to admit a girl was able to land a hit. Or anyone, for that matter. “I’m sorry. I mean, I know you choose to hang out with him, but that sounds like a lot. Even for you.”

Danny laughed. “Exactly. How’s Lydia? I’ve been meaning to talk to her, too, but haven’t really gotten the chance.”

Lydia hated admitting weakness. She would hate it even more if Nina admitted it for her. She already held a small grudge against her for telling Natalie about the ice rink. “She’s doing well, all things considered.” A beat, and then, “How are you doing?”

“I’m good.” Danny ran his hand through his hair. “I, uh… Damon and I broke up.”

“Again?” She winced at her words. “I mean, I’m sorry.”

“You hated him.”

“ Hate is such a strong word.” She pursed her lips as Danny stared in amusement. “It was more of a vague dislike.” Danny and his boyfriend had broken up at least twice now, and Damon never seemed to appreciate when she brought it up.

Danny huffed out another laugh. “Right. Of course. Anyway, I’m still trying to get over it, so I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime soon. Just to get a break from it all, y’know?”

A break sounded nice, albeit unrealistic. But Danny was going through something, even if a breakup wasn’t high on her own list of priorities. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Will loaded the dishwasher as Nina packaged the leftovers, and Jen and Mick were whispering to themselves in the dining room. “Where is your hotel, Mick?” Will called. “It’s getting a bit late.” 

The underlying message to leave was obvious. Mick looked to Jen, who eventually replied, “Mick’s staying in the guest room.”

The harsh sound of glass against glass rang out as Will shot up, dropping a wine glass into the dishwasher. Luckily, nothing broke. “But that’s — ”

“Darling, you do not need an entire guest room’s-worth of space for your science equipment.” She shot him a warning look. Mick didn’t know about Isaac. If the private investigator learned about the boy who was currently a fugitive for his father’s murder, it would be a problem. “I put your stuff in your closet.” Isaac hadn’t kept much at their place; just things he didn’t want his father confiscating, and a few changes of clothes. 

If Mick was suspicious of Will being so upset over ‘his personal things’ being moved to his room, he didn’t say anything. Will’s jaw set as he finished his chore for the night. 

When the library closed early that afternoon, the twins left with nothing in hand. So many books, and nothing fit the criteria. “I never want to read another word again,” Will sighed, closing his eyes in the passenger seat. 

“Too bad, because I need you to keep researching online.” 

“Why can’t you do it?”

Nina rolled her eyes. “Stop whining. I have an errand to run before my shift tonight. I’ll try to get more information from Deaton.” 

He groaned. “Fine.”

~~~

The furrowed brow of the sheriff greeted Nina through the screen door as she smiled politely on the Stilinski’s front porch. “Nina?”

“Hello, Sheriff. How are you?”

He ran his hand over his jaw. “I’m alright… you know, if you have anything pertaining to an investigation, you should really go straight to the station. I’ll be there later today.”

“I’m here to see Stiles, actually. Is he home?” His Jeep was gone, but she assumed that would be impounded as evidence. 

Noah took a moment to register and nodded as he opened the door, making room for her to enter. “Come on in.” She did so and kicked her shoes off in the entryway. “He’s in his room. Upstairs, first door on your right.” Nina thanked him and padded up the stairs, leaving the confused sheriff behind. 

Stiles’s bedroom door was closed, covered with stickers that showed the age progression of his interests. Star Wars , Batman , and vague fantasy-related images were scattered at eye-level. She knocked, only opening the door when she heard him call out from inside. Stiles sat at his desk, stacks of paper surrounding him as he scrolled through his laptop. He glanced quickly at the door and did a double take when he saw Nina there. “Uh… what are you doing here?” He looked even more bewildered at her being there than the sheriff had.

Nina stepped inside and closed the door behind her. As she did so, Stiles got up from his desk and began bustling around, pushing piles of discarded clothing and lacrosse equipment into the corner. He was wearing an old t-shirt and pajama pants, despite it being three in the afternoon. She assumed he hadn’t gone anywhere. “I wanted to check on you.”

He paused, looking back at her. “Huh? Why?”

“You asked how I was doing after I saw the body at the video store. Technically you were only there to check on Lydia, but y’know, fair’s fair.”

Stiles sighed and shook his head. “No offense, Nina, but if I need to talk to someone about it, it’s not going to be you.”

That was fine. She hadn’t exactly wanted to talk to him at the time, either. “ Will you talk to someone? Knowing the cause of death was a lizard monster is a bit worse than when I thought the store employee was killed by a regular human.”

He shot her a withering look and scoffed. “Yeah, let me call up my vampire therapist real quick.”

His sarcasm, while usually dry, had lost all sense of humor. “Did I do something to upset you?” She asked, wondering if his attitude was a product of the trauma or something related to her, specifically. It could be a mix of both.

“No. You did nothing wrong. As per usual, you are perfect.”

Nina bit the inside of her cheek. That comment was targeted. “I feel like I did something.”

“Well, you didn’t,” He insisted, his tone developing more of an edge. 

“Then why are you acting like I did?”

Stiles cursed under his breath and straightened. “Because you don’t get it!”

Her eyes narrowed as he snapped at her. “Don’t get what, exactly?” Maybe she should have just left him alone. She was the one to intrude on his space, after all. Normally, when people were angry with her and refused to give a reason, she would ignore it until they cooled off, but the idea of Stiles being upset with her didn’t sit right. Maybe it was because she hadn’t really seen him actually upset. Now she was certain he was mad at her about something , and it was irritating that he wouldn’t just come out and say it.

Stiles groaned. “Jesus chr — I was useless! I am useless. That’s what you don’t get. All I could do was lay there and watch .”

Shit. Nina’s jaw dropped at the realization. “You didn’t just find him? You had to watch it happen?”

He didn’t answer her, but he didn’t have to. “Before, I was able to justify it as being the only human involved. But now… Allison has her thing with the archery, she can defend herself. And you —” He let out another frustrated groan and began pacing back and forth. 

“What about me?” The new knowledge about what actually transpired at the garage nearly convinced her that his current mental state wasn’t related to her at all, but now she was back to not knowing. 

“Are you kidding?” He stopped pacing to throw his hands out, gesturing to her wildly. “You’re… you ! You were able to fight back against that hunter at the station, and Scott said you somehow managed to call off Derek off all people and saved his life at the ice rink while I was busy passed out in a dumpster . I can’t decide if I’m impressed by you or hate you! If you had been at the garage, I bet you would have gotten over the paralysis through… sheer force of will, or something .” The pacing resumed as he ran his hands over his head.

She was trying to register what he was saying while simultaneously piecing together the chain of events the night prior. Stiles had been paralyzed along with the mechanic, and watched him get crushed. “That’s not possible, you can’t speed through the effects of a paralytic toxin with just brain power. Maybe you could delay the effects, if there’s an increase of adrenaline in the system, but even that’s dodgy—”

“You are so annoying,” He breathed. Nina pursed her lips; her correction was meant to be comforting, but that failed. “You just don’t know what it’s like. To sit there, and not be able to do anything. Even though you want to do something . The worst part is I know that even if I wasn’t paralyzed, I—”

“You still wouldn’t have been able to do anything,” Nina finished, folding her arms over her chest. Stiles’s face dropped as he stared at her. “That’s the worst part of it, right? You can imagine being the hero. Somehow overcoming the paralysis, getting the mechanic out of danger in time, able to fend off the creature until the cops arrived. But the reality is, if you had managed to get him away from the car lift, the creature would have come back and killed him itself.

“Did Scott tell you what it did to that hunter? If the mechanic hadn’t died from the car lift, it would have gutted him. And you don’t know what’s worse. The mechanic laying there, unable to save himself, terrified but resigned to the fact that he would die in a freak accident. Or in pain, bleeding out, questioning his sanity and everything he’s ever known to be true. He dies either way. The only difference is whether you’re complacent or an active participant.” As she spoke, Stiles sat down on the edge of his bed, eyeing her warily. When she finished, he said nothing. “That about cover it?”

Finally, he sighed and nodded. “Yeah. That covers it.” He scratched the back of his neck as he stared up at her, his eyes red and glassy. “How’d you know?”

She didn’t have to tell him. She wasn’t planning on telling anyone — it was a secret she intended to take to her grave, whether for Isaac’s sake or her own. Stiles had no business knowing, but… she didn’t want him to think she was better than him. Nina sighed, leaning against his desk as she looked away. He would hate her. “I… I knew about Isaac’s dad.” She kept her voice quiet, just in case there was a chance of Noah overhearing. Once the words were out, the rest tumbled out before she could stop them. “I know what it’s like, because I did nothing while he was being abused. Nothing. And I wanted to — every time Isaac came home with a new bruise, or didn’t answer his phone, I wanted to go right to your dad. He said not to, because it would cause more problems in the long run. And I listened. I listened, and now he’s a werewolf , and it’s my fault, and I still can’t decide if he would be better off if I had told someone. I… I don’t know.”

Her voice trailed off as she held back tears. She would not cry. The goal of telling Stiles wasn’t to throw herself a pity party. It was to show that she shouldn’t be up on some pedestal. And, judging from the silence, she succeeded. She waited for him to tell her what a horrible person she was. “How is any of that your fault?” He asked, his voice quiet. The tone was genuine. Nina ignored the tremble in her lip as she swallowed. Was he not listening? “Jesus, Nina, I… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” She shook her head, still refusing to look at him. “Don’t do that. I know it’s terrible, and I didn’t tell you so you could pretend otherwise. This isn’t about me.” She wanted to pull at her hair. “I just — don’t compare yourself to me! You said you don’t know whether to be impressed or hate me? Hate me. I fought back against a hunter, I saved Scott’s life — and I sat by and watched my friend get abused for a year when I could have helped. I have a point to this, and it’s that you couldn’t have done anything. You were paralyzed. You weren’t useless then, and you aren’t useless now.” She hadn’t meant to ramble about her guilt, and she felt awful about it. 

“I really don’t think that’s your fault.” Nina began to protest, but he cut her off. “Can you just let me forget about my own problems for a minute? Please? It would genuinely be helpful.” Pursing her lips, Nina gestured for him to go on. “Look, I don’t know what the foster system is like in England, but in America, it’s really fucked up. My dad has a lot of horror stories about it. So, yeah, maybe you should have said something. Or, maybe it would have made things worse. There isn’t a right answer to that sort of thing, and even if there was, it’s not solely your responsibility. You’re just a kid.”

With nothing else to respond, Nina just huffed and kicked a stray lacrosse ball away. She hated this. “You’re annoying too, for the record.”

“Thank you, I needed that. It was getting a bit too heavy in here.”

“Anything to help,” She snorted. That conversation needed to be done for her own peace of mind. Nina grabbed one of the stacks of paper off of the desk and inspected it. It was a printed article about a ‘night hag.’ “Some light reading?” She asked, holding it up.

Stiles sighed as he stood, returning to the desk and turning the laptop back on. “Apparently, the only thing that comes up when you search ‘supernatural creature’ and ‘paralysis’ is sleep paralysis. I didn’t notice that until I had printed all of this out.”

“The library was a bust, too,” She said, thankful he took the bait to move on. “How long have you been researching?”

“Since I got home last night.”

So he hadn’t slept. When Nina looked at him closely, she noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes. She pushed herself up from the desk and moved to the door. “I’ll be downstairs. Get dressed.”

He sighed and nodded. “Yeah, okay — wait, what?” His head spun to her, face twisted in confusion. 

“Get dressed,” She repeated. “I need some coffee before my shift. You need some if you’re going to keep looking into this.”

“No, I can’t. Coffee just makes me tired—”

“You’ve mentioned that. You won’t make any real progress if you’re sleep deprived.” She held up the Night Hag article to prove her point. Getting out of the house would also help him realize how exhausted he was. Nina jingled her keys in the air. “You have five minutes.”

That seemed to activate him as Stiles began to dart around his room. “Jesus, uh — fifteen!”

Nina checked the time. She could get to work on time with fifteen. “A second over, and I have your dad show me the hockey videos.”

“You’re evil!”

“Not a second over, Bilinski!” She called back, closing the door behind her. 

~~~

The first part of her shift at the clinic that day was spent watching the phones while Deaton did an X-ray on a beagle. Once the dog and owner were gone, she went to the examination room, where Deaton was sterilizing the equipment. “Hunters go to you for help too, then?” She asked nonchalantly, arms folded over her chest. He wouldn’t bring up the other night on his own, so it was up to her. 

Deaton glanced up at her. “They used to. I’m still retired, you know.”

“From being a druid?” They hadn’t discussed it since the night Scott nearly died. And if he couldn’t tell her about the lizard creature, he could tell her more about himself.

Thankfully, Deaton didn’t close off. “And from being an emissary.” Nina’s brow rose. “Do you know what an emissary is?”

“It’s another word for an ambassador.”

He nodded and gave a small smile. “Exactly. An emissary works to bridge the gap between the natural and the supernatural. It’s a job. ‘Druid’ is more of a title. They seek to maintain the balance of the world. In ancient Ireland, druids held high positions and were well respected. It’s rumored that when a druid stepped onto the battlefield, all fighting would cease.”

“ All fighting?” She repeated, her face twisting in distaste. “ Everyone managed to notice one person? That’s a bit unrealistic.”

“Many were sorcerers,” He explained with a chuckle. “Though it sounds more impressive to say they were able to do it without magic.”

“Maybe for them,” Nina hummed. “Are you a… sorcerer?” She hated that she could even ask that question. 

Deaton’s smile widened at her mild revulsion. At least someone was enjoying this. “No, I’m not. Most lines of magic users have been lost by now.” Most . Ugh. He chuckled again. “You seem more disillusioned than usual, Nina. Is something bothering you?”

“Just about everything.” Nina huffed as she busied herself with organizing some prescriptions that needed to be refilled. “I didn’t want to be involved in all of this. But now I am, and… I can handle the hunters. But I don’t have anything that’s legal and non-fatal to defend myself against everything else.” Stiles talked about what she did at the ice rink like it was something to be proud of, but Boyd had been right. It was stupid for her to step in, and she was insanely lucky that nothing happened. 

She felt Deaton watch her for a moment before he spoke. “I may have something to help you.” He reached up around his neck and lifted a necklace from under his coat, holding it out to her. “Have you ever seen this before?”

Nina took the necklace and examined the pendant. “It looks like a Celtic knot.” It was about the size of a dollar coin, cool gray metal carved in a woven shape with four rounded edges, on a thin leather cord.

“A shield knot, to be specific,” He nodded. “It’s meant to be a symbol of protection against evil. The pendant was made with mountain ash.”

She turned it around in her palm. There was no sign of where the ‘knot’ started or ended. “An uninterrupted barrier,” She said, remembering what he told her when he had her make her own mountain ash.

Deaton smiled. “Exactly.”

Nina lifted the pendant and watched it turn in the air. “Were you wearing this when Derek attacked you?” She’d heard about it from Scott and Stiles when they compared what they knew. The night Peter attacked them at the school, Derek assumed Deaton was ‘the alpha’ and kidnapped him. 

The unspoken question hung in the air as Deaton chuckled. “Derek isn’t evil, Nina. Just looking for answers. I can’t condone his methods, but I can understand his motives.”

“So it only protects against ‘evil.’” Nina stared at him warily. “Is anything actually evil?” Even Peter was operating on revenge and an unhealthy obsession with power.

“That’s a question you’ll have to answer yourself,” Deaton said, his smile turning somber. “What I can answer for you, however, is that the pendant specifically wards against magic.”

“Magic that no longer exists.”

“Not necessarily.”

Nina rolled her eyes. “This whole ‘vague mysticism’ thing lost its pizazz a long time ago, in case you weren’t aware.”

Deaton let out a sigh. “There are a lot of unknowns in this world. You’re going to have to get used to making decisions without all of the answers.” Was he scolding her? Nina had never been scolded by Deaton. “Do you trust me?”

“I feel like everything would be a lot easier if I didn’t.” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a weak glare. “But yes, I do.”

He eyed her, as though to see if she was lying, and then nodded. “I don’t keep things from you and Scott for fun, Nina. If I start giving you the answer to every question you have, we’ll never get anything done.”

Nina resisted the urge to ask if that was because she asked too many questions, or because he was incapable of giving a satisfying answer. She clasped the pendant around her neck, pointedly ignoring the proud look on Deaton’s face as she returned to the front desk.

Chapter Text

“Please—”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have better things to do than play messenger pigeon for Scott and Allison all day. And so do you.” Nina gave Stiles a pointed look. “I have given Allison every suggestion I possibly could. I tried to give her my burner. I told her to change her contact names in her phone and pretend to date Will — I know why she said no to that one, but still — and we can’t meet at my place with my uncle there. I even tried to give her my actual phone. Nothing would work, supposedly, except for us running back and forth. I think it’s just the teenage need to feel perpetually miserable.” She finished getting her books for history and closed her locker door, leaning against it.

Stiles only rolled his eyes. “Right, that’s a nice working theory, but it doesn’t change the fact that I will be running back and forth all day for them, so can you please help me? In solidarity? Please?” He held his hands up and clasped them together. “I will beg, and it will be pathetic. Do I need to get on my knees? I’ll do it—”

“Oh my god, fine .” Nina groaned, grabbing his hoodie to stop him mid-kneel. “I’ll pass it on to Scott. What did Allison say?”

He gave a quiet cheer, and Nina already regretted her decision. “Alright, so Allison said ‘I’m sorry for the other day’ — they have secret—”

“Secret meetings, yes, get on with it.”

“I just wanted to make sure you knew the context!” Nina glowered at him. “Alright, jeez, I’m getting on with it. ‘I’m sorry for the other day, I’m trying. We’ll get through this, I know, because…’ ” He faltered, mouth still open.

“Because…”

“‘ Because ,’” Stiles continued, now looking anywhere except at her. He began fidgeting with his hoodie, pink dusting his cheeks. “‘ Because I… lo…’ oh, forget it.”

Before she could ask what was wrong, Stiles all but ran away, muttering that it would be easier for him to do it himself.

“What the hell was that?” Will stood next to her, both watching as Stiles disappeared down the hall, nearly slamming into another student when he turned back for a second.

~~~

Nina only heard bits and pieces from Scott and Allison in their shared classes. What Deaton had been referring to when he mentioned a record of supernatural creatures was a bestiary, and Allison knew where it was. She just had to get the keys to Gerard’s office. Their best bet was at the lacrosse game that night.

“Hurry up, or I’m leaving without you!” Nina called from the living room. Will was taking longer to get ready than usual, and had been hogging the bathroom for the past fifteen minutes.

“Where are you off to?” Mick came out of the hall, laptop and various books in his arms. He gave Nina a casual smile.

Nina forced a smile back. “Lacrosse game. We’ll be back a bit late.”

“Before curfew, I hope,” He grinned. Nina only gave a fake chuckle. “How about I come with?” 

Nina’s face fell as she made eye contact with Will, who was finally done. “You hate sports,” He said, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. “You always said it was a waste of time.”

Mick set his things on the coffee table. “You both used to hate them as well, if I recall correctly,” He chuckled. Before Will could retort with something about how things have changed in the past year, Mick continued. “When in Rome, right? Your mum’s at a department meeting tonight, and I’d rather not be stuck here alone. I’ll drive.”

They all knew it wasn’t up for debate. The drive was incredibly awkward, any silence filled up by Mick asking for the complete and unabridged history about lacrosse. He only eased up once they got to the field and were face-to-face with Allison and Gerard. 

“Nina, William,” Gerard acknowledged with a smile. Before Will could correct him, Gerard’s attention turned to the man behind them. “I’m Gerard Argent, the school principal.” He lifted his hand from Allison’s shoulder and held it out to Mick.

“Maurice Holmes. Nina and Will’s uncle.” Mick grinned and shook Gerard’s hand. 

At Gerard’s suggestion — and Mick’s acceptance — the group all sat together. That was even more awkward. The only reprieve was when Allison asked if anyone wanted anything from concessions and took Nina and Will with her before the game.

Once they were out of earshot, a weight lifted off of Nina’s shoulders. “Thank you,” She sighed. “Mick has been breathing down our necks since he got here, it’s terrible.”

“Welcome to my world.” Allison rolled her eyes as they waited in line. It was long enough that they had a plausible excuse to take a while. “I can’t do anything or go anywhere without someone in my family checking to see if I’m lying.”

“You should practice,” Will suggested, looking up from his phone to meet Allison’s confused stare. “Mick taught us how by hooking us up to a polygraph. They can’t actually detect lies, but people put a lot of stock in them.”

Allison blinked as she glanced between the two, as though waiting for one of them to claim it was a joke. “Okay, you win. That’s a lot weirder.”

Will shrugged, returning to his phone. He’d been texting someone the entire time, occasionally glancing up and looking around for something. When they had to return to the bleachers with popcorn in hand, Mick and Gerard were engaged in a quiet conversation that ceased as soon as they saw the teenagers.

“What were you talking about?” Allison asked, sitting next to Gerard.

“Oh, just about how unfamiliar we are with this game,” Gerard chuckled. “Maurice said you two know quite a bit. You may have to be in charge of explaining the rules.”

Nina forced out a light laugh. “We only know the basic rules.”

Gerard gave her a pointed smile. “I wouldn’t bet against you.”

When Nina looked at Allison, she shook her head slightly. She hadn’t mentioned anything about the betting pool. It could have been a coincidence, but knowing Gerard, it wasn’t likely. 

With Gerard sitting next to them, the twins were unable to take any money for that match. They didn’t need it, but it was irritating whenever a student would approach and try to talk about it. Because of that, Will hardly paid attention to the behemoth on the field who was taking out all of the other players. Instead, he was sucked into his phone for the first fifteen minutes of the game until he finally stood. “I’ll be back,” He said, not looking back as he walked down the bleachers.

Towards the end of the second quarter, one of the players for Beacon Hills was being carried away on a stretcher. “Good god, is it always this violent?” Gerard asked. While that distraction was happening, Allison was able to pass off the keys to his office to Stiles, since she had managed to get Gerard to give her his coat. Meanwhile, Nina was staring down a camera across the field.

Matt Daehler had been taking photos of Allison — and only Allison — for nearly five minutes . She knew he was only taking photos of Allison, because the camera hadn’t strayed once, and he still hadn’t noticed her glaring at him. Until he finally lowered it to talk to Melissa McCall. When he lifted the camera once more and tried to find Allison he startled and nearly tripped over himself, lowering it once more and making eye contact with Nina. Her glare intensified as he walked away, only stopping when he was completely out of sight. 

She’d considered Allison’s theory that she was just paranoid after Matt randomly approached her. The staring at school could be written off as a simple crush. That wasn’t a crime. Neither were the photos, but no one could convince her that it wasn’t weird just how long the camera had been focused on Allison. She’d talk to her about it a different time.

Will was still gone, so it was up to Nina and Allison to explain the rules. 

“Are they allowed to just… pick people from the stands?” Mick watched as Boyd got dressed in the lacrosse uniform.

“Not technically ,” Nina answered. “But if the ref isn’t going to call it, then it’s not our problem.” She glanced around the stands, spotting Erica at the top. She was watching Boyd, a worried frown on her face as she ignored a guy who was trying to talk to her now that Boyd was gone. Nina gave a half-assed excuse that she’d be back and climbed up the stands to sit in the now-empty spot next to Erica. 

“What are you doing here?” Erica asked, glaring at her.

Nina kept her voice low. “Scott could barely control himself on the field when he first turned. Boyd doesn’t know the rules, he’ll just get frustrated. Tell me how to help him stay in control.” The glare lifted to simple suspicion. “This isn’t about a stupid feud between Derek and Scott, this is about making sure that one , Gerard doesn’t find out about you all, and two , that Boyd doesn’t kill someone. Help me .”

Erica looked back out at Boyd, her jaw setting as she nodded. “Fine.”

Nina’s job was to tell Boyd the rules while Erica and Scott kept him in check. She was able to talk directly to Boyd, telling him the plan. He made eye contact with Nina, giving her a single nod before she went back to her original seat. Thankfully, she had the perfect cover.

When she sat down, she turned to Mick and Gerard. “So, Boyd is being put on defense. Their job is to make sure someone from the other team doesn’t score a goal. He’s going to guard the attacker…”

With the help of Scott being on the field, Boyd was able to play the game without seriously injuring anyone or outing himself as a werewolf. She could see his eyes glow a few times, but that was only because she was paying attention. He even managed to score a goal at one point. 

After the game ended, while everyone was distracted with Beacon Hills winning — and the worry that Scott may have broken his leg — Nina finally noticed that Stiles and Will were still gone. And so was Erica. Boyd stood back, away from the group. When she approached, his helmet was off, and he gave her a stoic look. “Where are Will, Stiles, and Erica?” She asked, arms folded over her chest.

Boyd tilted his head. “I don’t know or care where your brother is. Derek just wants to know what Stiles saw at the mechanic’s garage.”

Had the lacrosse game been a play to get Scott and Nina distracted? She doubted it, but she made a mental note not to underestimate them in the future. “Where are they? I’ll tell him myself.” She would decide if she was telling the truth later.

Taking a step forward, Boyd smiled. “You could tell me.”

A hand clasping on Nina’s shoulder nearly made her jump in the air. “Sounds like it was a false alarm,” Mick said jovially, referring to Scott. He grinned at Boyd. “Are you two friends? It looked like you really knew what you were doing despite not being on the team. Nice job.”

“I had a good teacher.” Boyd winked at Nina and began to walk towards the rest of the team. “I’ll see you in history.”

Mick lifted his hand from her shoulder as she turned to face him. “I called Will, he’ll meet us at the car. He was talking to a friend, apparently. You ready to head home?”

At least one person was accounted for. “I was invited to go to the local diner to celebrate the win, actually,” Nina lied. “I’ll get a ride.”

Letting out an awkward hiss, Mick grimaced. “I don’t know, Nina, it’s getting close to your curfew.”

It took a lot of effort to not snap at him. “I get why you’re worried, but I’ll be fine. I’ll call Mum and ask her.”

Frustratingly, Mick refused to understand that she was not asking permission. “I’m sorry, but the answer’s no.”

“Whose answer?” Nina asked, failing to hide the edge in her voice. “Because you have been here for all of five days. I’m sorry , but you are not the authority.” 

Mick’s brow rose. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he gave her a disappointed stare. “You’re right. I can’t tell you what to do. I’m not here to control you two, I’m here to support my family. And you don’t have to accept that. But your mother is extremely worried about you. I’m trying to make her life easier because, let’s face it, you aren’t. If I come home with Will and not you, she will be distraught until you get back.”

It was a convincing argument. Luckily, Nina had heard it already. “You already tried the guilt tripping on Mum with me as the subject. Did you really think you could switch it around and I wouldn’t notice, Mickey? You’re losing your touch.”

His face hardened. “I am not the villain here, Nina.”

“No, you’re not,” She agreed. “You’re just an asshole.”

~~~

Despite her best efforts, Mick wasn’t going to let her go so easily after she directly antagonized him. And she couldn’t risk him following her if she just ran off, despite the fact that she wouldn’t have known where to go in the first place. So, she sat in the back seat of the car on the even-more-awkward ride home, only able to hope that Stiles was okay after her texts to him and Scott went unanswered. 

Apparently, Will had been comforting Lydia the entire game. She’d wanted to go, but couldn’t find the strength to leave her car and face everybody. She never even texted Nina about it. The worst part was she explicitly told Will to not tell Nina what they talked about. 

Nina was busy pacing her room, phone in hand, as she faced the fact that Lydia didn’t trust her anymore. It made sense, she’d been lying to her face for weeks, and lying by omission for even longer. ‘It wasn’t my idea’ was a shit excuse, and she wasn’t just going to shift the blame onto the others. And she couldn’t tell her that Will mentioned it, because then Lydia wouldn’t trust Will — which she had never seen coming — and she’d have no one. The only thing Will did tell Nina about his conversation with Lydia was that he kept his end of the agreement and didn’t tell her about the supernatural. 

The supernatural that were apparently interrogating Stiles about the other supernatural. Why was it taking so long? Telling Derek that the creature was a lizard wouldn’t be the end of the world, and Stiles was smart enough to know that. So why hadn’t he called her back? Neither had Scott, which only made the pit sink deeper into her stomach. Nina never thought she would be the anxious type. 

Finally , mid-pace, Nina’s phone screen lit up with Stiles’s caller ID. She answered immediately. “Are you okay?”

Nothing. There was no response — only the sounds of something hissing and echoing, and then static. Nina didn’t have the luxury of assuming it was a prank call. She hung up and tried to call Scott and then Allison, both of whom went immediately to voicemail. 

In his room, Will was working at his desk. “I need you to cover for me again,” Nina said, glancing at the clock. A little after ten — just past her curfew.

Will sighed. “Twenty.”

“Fifty.” When he stared at her, about to clarify that he meant money, Nina elaborated. “Mick’s in the living room. I need you to distract him.”

He grimaced. “Fifty’s fair.”

~~~

Nina was someone who prided herself on always having a plan. She was usually able to get all of the information, and then quickly figure out the most efficient way to get what she wanted based on that information. As she crept into the school, trying to listen for what sounded like a fight, she was forced to reckon with the fact that impulse had won out that time. 

Stiles being at the school was easy enough to deduce. That’s where he had been before he disappeared, and while it was certainly possible for Derek to take him to a secondary location, she doubted it. He wasn’t smart enough for that. So, until she found something that indicated otherwise, she’d operate under the assumption he was still there. Where in the school was a different question. It sounded like they were in a large room, with the amount of echoing before the call cut out. Gym? Pool? Cafeteria?

Passing by the principal’s office, Nina stopped at the wide-open door with the keys still in the lock. She’d come without a weapon. Gerard was a school principal now, but he was still a hunter. He wouldn’t let himself be unarmed during the day, would he? She inspected the office, paying close attention to the area behind his desk. Nestled between the wall and a tall filing cabinet was something she could work with.

The sword was long and heavy, and Nina felt like an idiot as she held it in front of her, confident that her form was all wrong. But it was a weapon. Protection. She stalked through the school, wishing she had taken up Derek’s offer if only for the hearing, as she cycled through the options. Gym. Pool. Cafeteria. Cafeteria was unlikely — too many windows, too many chances to be witnessed. The gym was also a long shot; what would Derek do, threaten him with a basketball? Probably. But the pool was her best bet for the time being. Secluded, echo-y, and an easy threat of waterboarding, despite a werewolf not needing to resort to such a thing. 

Her suspicions were confirmed when she peeked through the windows of the door. Erica out on the floor, Stiles and Derek in the pool, something circling around them. The lizard. Nina opened the door as quietly as she could, wincing when the click echoed throughout the pool. 

“What is she doing here?” Derek demanded, his voice strained. 

“Nina? Where’s Scott?”

Both boys’ attention being on her also brought the attention of the lizard. It bounded toward her, and Nina lifted the sword best she could in order to get the necessary momentum to even make a dent in that thing. 

A meter away from her, it suddenly stopped, crouching low and leaning back, away from her, as it stared up at the sword. “What the hell is it doing?” She asked, not daring to move a muscle. 

“Hold on, I’ll ask!” At least the sarcasm was still intact. 

Slowly, Nina lowered the sword so that it guarded her body. The lizard’s gaze followed, tilting its head as it remained entranced. This was weird .

Stiles called out her name, and she could see him and Derek sink under the water in the corner of her eye. The lizard turned at the noise, and Nina swung the sword. 

Too slow. It sprung at Nina, knocking her to the ground. One clawed, scaly hand pressed into her sternum as the other was drawn back to swipe at her. She screwed her eyes shut as it screeched in her face, bracing herself for the strike.

Suddenly, the weight lifted from her body. Nina opened her eyes, seeing Scott fending off the lizard as he pulled Stiles and Derek out of the pool. They landed just a little bit away from her, and she scrambled over to their side. Derek was hacking up all of the water, and Stiles was able to shakily pull himself up to a sitting position. “Oh, thank god.” 

The pool became quiet after Scott fell into the mirror on the wall and held up one of the glass shards. Once again, the lizard became entranced with the shiny object, before it eventually just ran away, crashing through the skylight. 

At that point, Erica and Derek were mostly able to move on their own. Slowly, but both were too proud to accept help from Nina, Scott, or Stiles. So after Nina returned the sword to its spot behind the file cabinet and the office was closed, the three stood outside, crowded around Stiles’s laptop as they inspected the bestiary.

“Is that even a language?” Stiles asked, leaning in closer to the screen.

“It’s a form of Latin,” Nina answered, her arms folded over her chest. “It’s not classical. Probably an early form, before 75 BCE.”

Scott turned to her with a hopeful smile. “Can you translate it?”

Apparently he had not been joking, as his smile fell when Nina laughed. “Are you insane? I don’t know what year it’s from, where it’s from — dialect alone will be hard to figure out — it could be Prisca , Latina , Romana , or Mixta —” Both Scott and Stiles stared at her blankly, and she sighed. “Give me a week, I’ll see what I can do.”

“A week?” Scott’s brow flew up in shock. “We need to figure out what that thing is now!”

“It’s called the kanima.” Derek and Erica approached, the effects of the toxin long gone.

“You knew the whole time?” Stiles demanded.

“No.” Derek looked between Nina and Scott. “Only when it was confused by its own reflection.”

Scott’s jaw dropped slightly. “It doesn’t know what it is.”

“Or who,” Derek added.

Stiles was shivering, still in his clothes that had been in the pool. “What else do you know?”

“Just stories. Rumors.” Whatever the stories or rumors were, from the look on Derek’s face, they didn’t seem to be nice ones. 

“But it’s like us?” 

Scott’s question put Derek on edge. “It’s a shapeshifter, but it’s… not right. It’s like…”

“An abomination.”

Derek only gave the slight nod of his head. “So… how do we find out who it is?” Nina asked. 

“We need to work together on this,” Scott agreed. “Maybe even tell the Argents.”

“You trust them?”

“Nobody trusts anyone! That’s the problem!”

“It’s their book, they might be able to tell us more about it,” Nina offered, causing Derek’s glare to be focused on her. Nina jutted her hip out and stared right back. “Unless there’s more information you’d like to share.”

“Not if it’s going to them.”

“Oh my god, you’re such a child,” She groaned, throwing her head back. Nina lifted her hands and pointed her thumbs at Scott and Stiles. “These two saved your life. I think a bit of a thank you is in order.” 

Derek seethed. “My thank you was telling you what this is. That’s all I owe you.”

“ Ooh , not so fast!” Nina gave a sarcastic grin to Erica, whose face dropped as she realized what Nina was about to say. “How about this; while you were busy threatening Stiles and then getting your life saved by him — not letting that go, by the way — Scott and I were busy making sure Boyd didn’t accidentally kill anyone or get found out by Gerard Argent during his big debut on the field. He even made a goal, you should be proud.” Derek’s jaw flexed at the mention of Boyd, and Erica looked down at the ground to avoid his stare. “So, since we’re already making your job easier, how about you return the favor for once?”

Slowly, Derek nodded. “You’re right.” He gave them all an icy stare. “Tell you what. I’ll find whoever this is myself, and then I’ll kill them myself. You can stay out of it. As a thank you .”

When he spun on his heel and stalked away, Erica trailing behind awkwardly, Nina rolled her eyes. “Dick.”

Stiles rubbed the back of his head. “That went about as well as expected,” He sighed. His lips formed a thin line as he looked to Scott. “We’re asking the Argents, then?”

“Not yet.” Nina stepped forward and sent the file from the hard drive to her email from Stiles’s computer. “They know what they’re doing, but they’ll just keep us in the dark once we tell them what we know. We should hold off a little bit.”

With more of Will’s help — and another twenty-five dollars down the drain — Nina was able to get home without being caught by Jen or Mick. She gave him an abridged summary of the night, leaving out her own near-death experience, and was about to go to her own room when Will stopped her. “Did it get you?” He asked, his brow furrowed as he gestured to his own collar bone.

“No.” Nina looked down, trying to look at where Will was pointing to. Just above the collar of her shirt, a few vertical scratches lined her clavicle. All were spaced evenly apart. “Scott broke some glass, I guess I got nicked.”

Will hummed, and Nina went to her room. Rather than get ready for bed, she opened her own laptop and pulled up the new email. If they didn’t have a week for her to translate, she could get it done in a few days. She would just need more coffee.

Chapter Text

15… 23… 68… too far.

15… 23… too short.

This was taking too long. She sighed, dropping her hand from her combination lock and resting her head against the door in defeat. She’d mis-anticipated the distance and hit her forehead against the locker a bit too hard.

“Forget your combo?”

She didn’t even have the energy to be surprised by Isaac’s voice. Nina lifted her head and yawned as she reset the dial and tried again. “Just tired. You’re no longer a fugitive?”

Isaac leaned his arm against the lockers, hands in the pockets of a leather jacket. He was a near-perfect image of confidence and nonchalance, but even his newfound werewolf-dom couldn’t completely eradicate the way his head dipped to make himself smaller. Old habits die hard. “Apparently their key witness recanted his statement. And that statement was shaky in the first place, since a different witness contradicted him.”

Isaac usually had a drawl to his voice. He spoke casually, with an added edge to his voice that Nina only heard when he’d just gotten back from his dad’s; the ‘I’m fine, please talk about anything else’ tone. Now, that edge was much sharper. Nina didn’t look at him, her focus still on the combination. It was taking an embarrassingly long time. 15… 23… 68 — too far again . “ Motherfu —”

“I’ll do it.” With a sigh and the drop of her head, Nina stepped to the side. “Wow, look who’s accepting help for once.”

She didn’t take the bait. “You had to meet with Gerard, didn’t you? What did he say?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

A frustrated huff escaped her, but she kept her voice down. “Isaac, he has a sword in his office . He knows Derek turned you — he sent a hunter to kill you—”

“Yeah, I was kind of there for that.”

“If he threatened you, or knows about Boyd and Erica—”

“You know your locker is open, right?” Nina’s shoulders dropped as she registered that Isaac was, in fact, standing next to her open locker, and had been for a while. “I’ll tell you what Gerard said if you tell me something.”

Rolling her eyes, Nina took her textbook out and put the rest of her things away. “Ask away.”

Isaac folded his arms over his chest, watching her closely. “Is Lydia the kanima?”

“ What ?” Her head snapped to him. “Of course not, why would you think that?”

He pursed his lips and lifted his hand as he counted off his fingers. “Well, let’s see. She was bitten by Peter, spent two days in the woods where no one could find her, was unaccounted for during the full moon, and for the death of the mechanic and my father. If the two deaths are separate strikes, I count five.”

“Four.” Nina slammed her locker door shut and glared at Isaac. “She wasn’t unaccounted for during the full moon, Will was with her. Which you might have known if you’d actually talked to him while you were gone. He’s your best friend , do you realize how worried he’s been? How worried we’ve all been?”

He clicked his tongue against his teeth, not even trying to conceal a smirk. “ Aw. You care.” She scoffed. “That’s your chemistry book, by the way. Boyd said you’re both in History with Pollock first period.” Without asking this time, Isaac spun the combination again and grabbed her history book for her, swapping it with the chemistry book that he put back in her locker. “Will was with her. All night?”

“Yes.” If Isaac clocked the lie, he didn’t acknowledge it, and nodded. When he took a step to leave, Nina grabbed his jacket sleeve. “Isaac, I have hardly slept in two days while trying to translate the Argent bestiary.”

“I can tell.”

“Can we please work together on this?” She didn’t have the energy for the built up frustration. Nina would plead if she had to. “You don’t have to talk to me, since you obviously don’t want to. I get it. But finding who the kanima is will just take longer than it needs to if we’re doing parallel investigations.”

As it got closer to class starting, the hallway was mostly vacant. They were able to speak more freely. Isaac pressed his back against the lockers and returned his hands to his pockets. “You know, your heart skipped a little when I said the kanima murdered my dad. Did you think it was me?” His eyes squinted slightly as he looked at her, the guise of nonchalance faltering ever so slightly.

“It was a possibility,” Nina replied honestly. 

“You really think I would do something like that?” This edge was different from before. He was daring her to confirm.

Nina softened, which only seemed to agitate him further. “It’s not a matter of whether you would or not. Derek bit you so close to the full moon, and Scott could hardly control himself when he first turned. He’s nearly killed a few people by accident . I definitely wouldn’t blame you if you accepted the bite to—”

“ No .” Nina swallowed as Isaac growled — human, and filled with rage and offense — and pushed himself from the lockers to tower over her. “I didn’t accept it because of him . I accepted it because of you . And Will, and Jen. I was tired of you all trying to protect me all the time. And you still are. You still reek of guilt — you did at the police station, at the ice rink, and you do now. I’m trying to protect you for once, and you seriously think I’d be capable of killing him? That I’d want to?”

“You wanted to kill me! ” The look in Isaac’s eye was one of pure betrayal. Nina didn’t know whether that betrayal was with her or himself, if what he said about wanting to protect her was true. “On the full moon, you would have killed me and Stiles if Derek hadn’t shown up. It isn’t about if you want to. The Argents don’t care about that either, which is why you need to be careful—”

“You’re insane!” All pretense of smugness was wiped out as Isaac blinked rapidly, giving her the same look as when he and Will reached the height of their bickering. “Like, actually insane! How are you still —”

An arm wrapped around Nina’s shoulders, and she turned to see Danny at her side. “Hey, Isaac. It’s good to see you back. We missed you at the game on Monday. Are you gonna be back at practice after school?”

No one could defeat the power of Danny’s unassuming friendliness. Not even a werewolf. Isaac’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Not tonight. I have to get it approved from Coach.”

Danny nodded. “Well, it’ll be good to have you back after that. I think the first bell already rang, so we should probably get to history, Nina.”

The bell had already rung? She checked the time — the final bell would go off in about a minute. She was really off her game that day. “Right. I’ll talk to you later, Isaac.” She gave him a nod which he didn’t return as Danny whisked her away.

Once they were out of what Danny assumed to be earshot, he looked down at Nina. “You good? I heard you rejected him a few weeks ago, is he still bothering you?”

“No, he’s fine,” She denied, shaking her head. “I appreciate it though.”

“Okay, well, if we’re both dealing with guy problems, I have the perfect idea for what we should do tonight.” They walked into Pollock’s class just as the bell rang, leaving the only available seats as one in the front, next to one of Danny’s friends, and the other in the back, next to Boyd. 

Nina sat down next to him as Pollock started writing on the board. “Sorry for ratting you out to Derek,” She muttered, referring to the lacrosse game. “I hope he wasn’t too pissed at you.”

Boyd smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Erica and I are making it up to him.”

~~~

Nina was stabbing her way through her lunch again when Morrell’s voice broke her out of her stupor. “You seem tired, Nina.”

She had forgotten all about her meeting with Morrell until the pass came for her in Chemistry again. Even in the office, she didn’t fully register it. “I’ve had some late nights,” She admitted.

“Too much homework?

In a way. “I don’t like not knowing things.” It was vague, but the first half of the day had managed to bog her down to the point that getting a coherent thought out was lucky. 

Morrell nodded. “Having to work for knowledge can be frustrating when you’re used to the instant gratification of it.”

Even rolling her eyes took too much effort. Nina sighed. “It’s having to work for everything around it, too.” She lifted her hand to rub her cheek. “Family, friends, work, school, life-threatening situations — whenever I’m doing one, all I can think about is everything else .”

“ That is a feeling that will only go away with time,” She chuckled. Great. That didn’t make Nina feel better. “But I noticed you didn’t include yourself in that list.”

She snorted. “Like what, self-care?”

“Exactly.” Nina huffed and continued poking at her food instead of eating it. “All of the things you listed are important to attend to — minus the life-threatening situations — but you are important, too. It may sound cliche, but the self is the most important aspect of your life to take care of.”

Nina frowned. “I just don’t have the time for it.”

“Would you say the same thing if it was a friend in your position?”

No. She wouldn’t. Instead, Nina would force them to take time for themself. She swallowed and stared down. “It’s hard.”

Slowly, Morrell nodded. “I understand.” She glanced at the clock. “We still have about half an hour left, but I can cut our time short. I’m teaching for the rest of the day, so the room will be empty. You’re free to stay here and rest. I’ll email your other teachers to let them know you have an excused absence. Is that alright?”

It was tempting. She didn’t think she’d be able to sit through calculus, English, and French. “Yeah, that’s fine. Thank you.”

Morrell’s gaze flickered down to where Nina was fidgeting with the shield pendant. It had quickly become something she turned over in her fingers when her mind was elsewhere, ever since Deaton first gave it to her. “I like your necklace. Is it new?”

Something about her interest made Nina suspicious. She didn’t think Morrell was necessarily hiding something, but it felt like she… recognized it. “It was a gift.”

“Do you know what it means?”

So she did recognize it. “Yeah, it’s supposed to be a symbol of protection.”

Morrel smiled, genuinely, rather than her usual professional-and-reassuring. “It’s also a symbol of strength.” Morrell shut her computer monitors down and grabbed her bag, giving Nina a final nod. “Get some rest. You’ll need it.”

It wasn’t a large office, but behind Nina’s chair in the far corner, there was a small, upholstered loveseat. It didn’t look comfortable, but when Nina closed her eyes, it didn’t take long for sleep to come. 

~~~

By the time Morrell woke her up, it was fifteen minutes past the final bell. No one was in the hall, and as she put her things in her bag, she got a text from Will. 

‘I’m going to watch practice. I have a ride.’

The three hours of sleep had energized her enough to make the drive home without passing out at the wheel. She got home to no one home, Jen still at Berkeley and Mick somewhere. She didn’t quite care enough to find out. So, she had five hours before going with Danny to the club . When he proposed dancing at the gay club downtown, she nearly said no, but he seemed so excited about it, especially when she accepted. 

Now she just had to get ready. Hair and makeup would be easy enough, but Nina didn’t own anything close to appropriate for the club. When she had asked if it really mattered what she wore, since it was a gay club, Danny all but threatened her to dress the part. Specifically, to wear what made her feel ‘sexy.’ Exhaling, Nina called Lydia.

“Hey, what’s up?”

It was Allison. “Can I talk to Lydia? I’m almost sure I called her.”

There was a pause. “We’re studying, she just stepped out. What do you need?”

“I’m going out with Danny later. I was hoping she’d let me raid her closet.” Nina bit the inside of her cheek. “Is everything alright? You sound… awkward.”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Is Lydia fine?” When Allison didn’t answer, Nina sighed. “I just… feel like she doesn’t trust me. Which I know why , but if you two are still okay, then I don’t fully understand it.”

“Lydia trusts you,” Allison assured. “She wanted to invite you to study, actually, but… I was embarrassed to have two geniuses help me. So don’t worry about her.”

She was lying through her teeth. But if Nina dwelled on it too much, she’d ruin the night for Danny. One friendship at a time. “Alright. Can you ask her for me?”

“Right. Yeah, sure. Just a second.” Nina heard nothing on the other end — no echo of conversation or anything. “She said that’s fine. Send pictures.”

~~~

A little after eight in the evening, Nina and Danny stood outside the only gay bar in Beacon Hill — the Jungle. They’d finally gotten far enough in line that they would be able to get in soon, and Nina lifted Lydia’s purse that she borrowed to get her fake ID. “I can hardly feel my feet,” She complained, lifting one of her legs and rotating her ankle. The heels were the only thing not borrowed from Lydia; they had been a gift from Natalie Martin herself.

“Where are you going? Lydia always says dragging you anywhere that requires more than five minutes to choose an outfit is like taking a cat to the vet.”

Somehow, Nina doubted Lydia used those exact words. “I’m going to a club downtown, the Jungle,” She answered, holding up a shirt in the mirror. 

“Hm, the color will wash you out under the lights. Here.” Natalie stood from Lydia’s bed and marched to the ‘party closet’ (in Lydia’s terms). Nina hadn’t planned on enlisting Natalie’s help, but she enlisted herself. Natalie searched the closet until she pulled out a dark green top. “This will look nice and hide sweat stains. I used to go there all the time in college. Isn’t that place eighteen and up?”

“Twenty-one on weekends.”

Natalie chuckled. “Well, I used to do a lot worse. Do you need me to tell your mom that you’re staying over?”

Natalie Martin, Mother of the Year. “No, I’ll be alright.”

She smiled. “Okay. Now, I do have to be ‘Strict Parent’ for a second. Make sure you eat; you don’t want to drink on an empty stomach. Drink plenty of water in between, and if someone offers you something that looks like a five-hour energy…”

When Nina was finally able to leave, clothing in hand, Natalie made her wait as she grabbed her old ‘clubbing shoes’ from the back of her closet. “God knows I can hardly stand in these things anymore, let alone dance in them. I don’t want them to collect dust.”

Nina was suspicious that Natalie had ever been able to stand in them. Danny only laughed at her complaining and shook his head. “Well, you look hot.”

She ignored the insecure, teenaged part of her that curled up and wanted to ask, “Really? You’re not just saying that?” She scoffed instead. “Thanks, though I still don’t see how it matters.”

He saw right through her. “It matters because you feel hot. Besides, it’s a gay club, not a man club. Lesbians and bisexual women come here all the time.”

When they got to the front of the line, the bouncer spent more time inspecting their IDs than he had for anyone else. He was good at his job — it didn’t change the fact that the fakes were better. When two people left, Danny and Nina were allowed in.

Their first destination was the bar. “I can be the driver,” Nina offered as Danny ordered a drink.

Danny laughed and shook his head. “Not a chance. I don’t care if Morrell let you sleep in her office.” The bartender set a bright pink beverage on the counter, and it looked almost neon under the lights. Danny pressed it into Nina’s hands. “Here. Three hours of sleep and driving is not a good combo.”

“But it goes great with alcohol?” Nina challenged. 

“Which is why you’re going to drink water.”

She rolled her eyes. “You just don’t want me to drive your car.” 

“I just got a new paint job,” Danny grinned. “You ate dinner, right?”

“Yes, Mum,” Nina smirked. She took a sip of the drink, prepared to hide a grimace, but found she didn’t need to. Taking a larger drink from the straw, she followed Danny’s wandering gaze to a man who was dancing, keeping eye contact with Danny. Nina grinned and shooed him off. “You don’t need to watch over me. Go play.”

He gave her an unimpressed look before going to dance with the stranger. Satisfied that he was no longer focused on making sure she had a good time, Nina allowed her shoulders to drop as she sat down at the bar and asked for water. Once she finished the pink monstrosity she still didn’t know the name of, she ordered another.

“Nina?” 

Halfway through her refill, someone sat on the stool next to her. Nina turned to see an old Berkeley classmate, Evelyn. They had a course together on the psychology of myth and folklore and would often pair up on mandatory group assignments. “Hey, how are you?” Nina asked. 

Evelyn had dyed her hair recently and was wearing a baggy t-shirt that had the sleeves and midriff cut off along with baggier cargo pants. “I’m good!” They had to speak loudly over the music, which thrummed through Nina’s chest. “Where the hell have you been?”

She couldn’t exactly tell the truth — ‘ my high school principal decided I needed to be in high school the entire day’ would get her and Danny thrown out for sure. Instead, Nina just gave a sheepish shrug and downed the rest of her drink. “I had to take a leave of absence for the rest of the semester. I hope to be back next year, though.” 

“Rough break,” Evelyn said, nodding solemnly. “I know a guy that did that last year, but he’s back and doing great.” She drummed her fingers against the bar counter. “Do you want to dance? I came here with my friends, but they all ditched me.”

When Nina glanced back at Danny, he was still preoccupied with the guy and didn’t look like he’d be done anytime soon. Sliding off of the stool, Nina gestured for Evelyn to lead the way. “Let’s go.”

She was definitely tipsy. Before, she had felt the music in her bones, but now it was as though it was beating through her. After a while, Evelyn excused herself to the restroom, and Nina went back to the bar to get herself some water, bumping into nearly every other person just to get there. 

“Nina? Nina!”

She saw Stiles spinning around wildly close to the dance floor, looking out among the buff men in t-shirts who were all beginning to blend together. A wave of relief washed over her at the familiar face, and she approached him. “What are you doing here?”

When he turned, his eyes glossed right over her for a second. His brow furrowed as he stared at her in shock, glancing down before his gaze shot right back up and he swallowed. “Hey, uh… hi!”

“… Hi.” She couldn’t help but laugh, the awkwardness a nice refresher. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight. Is Scott here?”

Stiles nodded vehemently. “Yes, he is, and speaking of that, we have to leave. Right now.” He pointed to the doors. “Jackson is here, and he wants to kill you—”

“Why does Jackson want to kill me?” She could imagine him wanting to punch her, that was understandable. But murder?

“Because he’s the — Nina, I’ll explain this later—”

Shaking her head, Nina tried to look over the crowd. “I have to get Danny, I’m here with him.” The loud music began to fuel her panic, which rose quickly as she couldn’t spot him anywhere.

“There’s no time!”

Her irritation spiked a bit more harshly under the influence. “Well, that’s too bad!” 

He let out a tense exhale and grabbed her by the arms. “Scott will get Danny, and we’ll meet them outside. We need to go .”

Stiles began lightly pushing her towards the back, and she slapped his hands away. “No! Isaac and Lydia already hate me, I’m not ruining another friendship because of this bullshit! I can’t—” Nina forced the tears to remain at bay, and Stiles’s face fell. Before, she had been happy to see him. Now he was just a reminder of how messed up her life had become. And projecting those feelings onto him, in just the span of a few minutes, only made her feel worse. “Every time I try to do something right, I just fuck up something else! I can’t even translate a stupid book in time—”

Screams broke out, prompting Stiles to immediately grab her hand and begin running. Nina followed to avoid tripping in the chaos, and when she turned back to see if she could find Danny, she did. He laid in the middle of the dance floor, unmoving. 

Stiles led her out the back door, and she forced herself into gear. It wasn’t easy. Her brain was trying to keep up and she could still feel the vibration of the music, but she needed to sober up. “What happened in there? You said Jackson is trying to kill me.”

“Yeah, you or Danny. We assumed you, ‘cause Danny’s his best friend, and you’re, y’know.” He glanced back at her knowingly. “He’s the kanima.”

“That’s not possible, I already tested his blood.”

Stiles halted and turned to face her. “When did you do that? And why? ”

Nina huffed. “After I punched him, his blood looked really dark. So I tested it, but everything came back normal.”

His eyes widened in frustration. “You thought it looked weird enough to test it but you didn’t tell anybody?”

“I just said the tests came back normal! What did you want me to say, that he’s a universal donor?” Both of their voices had risen to the point of almost shouting at one another, and Nina groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand. Now that they were outside, Stiles’s hand felt clammy. Or maybe it was her own. “Ugh, sorry. I’m sorry. Why does he want to kill me? To my knowledge, punching someone one time is not the same as murder.”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

“How did you find out it was him, anyway?”

Stiles pursed his lips. “Uh… lucky guess?” She narrowed her eyes, about to press, when he continued dragging her with him. 

~~~

White, hot rage boiled in her chest as Scott and Stiles stood in front of her, both shifting and fidgeting after they told her everything that happened the day prior. While she was sleeping in Morrell’s office, then getting ready, then going out with Danny — completely unaware, totally unable to do anything. Because no one told her. Until this point, at five the next morning, while the sun was still rising. She had a dull headache, and she was cold, still dressed in the tight off-the-shoulder shirt, ripped skinny jeans, and uncomfortable heels. Nina took a deep breath, hands clasped together and fingers pressed to her lips to keep her from screaming. “Isaac, Erica, Boyd, and Derek tried to kill Lydia?” She asked, forcing her voice to be neutral.

“Yes, but they didn’t,” Stiles confirmed. “We made sure of that.” We, being Stiles, Scott, Allison, and Will. All of them kept this from her.

She nodded. “So she knows about everything now?”

They both winced. “We didn’t think it was the right time—”

“When will the right time be?” Neither answered, Scott’s shoulders hung in shame while Stiles shuffled his feet. “Okay, never . Got it. So after you already did everything without telling me, you want my help now . Right?”

Stiles gave a wary smile and clapped his hands together. “Yeah, that covers it. What do you think?”

“I think,” Nina began, her voice low, “That you two are the biggest idiots I have ever met!” They both shrank back as she yelled. “Are you instance, or just stupid? You took Lydia to your house and just waited for Derek’s pack to come and attack you?”

“Where else were we supposed to go?”

“The vet clinic !” Blood roared in her ears. They were so stupid.

“And do what, give them their rabies shots?”

Before she could personally tear Stiles a new one, Scott groaned. “It’s a barrier,” He said quietly, aimed at Stiles. “When Peter came looking for me, he wasn’t able to get past the gate.”

Stiles faltered. “Okay, that would’ve been a good idea, then.”

“Yeah, it would have!” She felt as though she were about to explode. “And why is Jackson in a police transport vehicle? ”

“That was your idea!” Stiles threw his hands out at her. “Last night, you said that we had to find someplace secure to keep him, where he can’t hurt anyone, and no one can hurt him.”

Nina rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Yes, because this —” She gestured to the woods around them. “Is very secure. Congratulations. And what if Derek decides to come looking for him?”

“He doesn’t leave a scent as the kanima, and Derek doesn’t know it’s Jackson,” Scott explained.

“ We leave a scent. And Derek knows that we are covering for the kanima.”

Scott groaned in frustration, running his hands through his hair. “Okay, so what should we do?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest, causing Stiles to resume the pointed eye contact. “I am hungover, cold, hungry, and pissed off because neither of you have been listening to a word I’ve said since the beginning. So I’m going to go home and keep translating the bestiary to try and figure out how to help Jackson. And when you two inevitably get caught because of this shit plan, I won’t say I told you so. But I’m not going to be attached to the dumbest crime in existence that is directly linked to the police because the sheriff’s son stole a police transport van !” She stormed off as best as she could in her heels, leaving the boys and the police transport vehicle behind her. 

“ Oh, come on — Nina, you can’t walk home.” She ignored Stiles as he jogged to catch up to her. “It’s at least an hour walk. I’ll drive you home.” Still saying nothing, she kept walking. “Please?”

He had driven her there already. Nina kept walking, gritting out through her teeth, “Fine.”

Stiles let out a sigh of relief. A moment later, his hoodie was pushed towards her. When she narrowed her eyes at him, he gave her a guilty smile. “You said you’re cold.” She accepted it begrudgingly and slid her arms through the sleeves. 

It was a short walk to the Jeep, and one that Stiles was struggling to keep silent. Nina was tempted to give him credit for trying, but she was still too angry. Lydia almost died . And Nina had no idea, because she was too busy wasting her time at a club. Where Danny got hurt, because Jackson was targeting her. 

Stiles’s ability to handle not talking lasted until he started driving. “You know why we didn’t tell you about Lydia, right?” He asked, glancing over at her as she stared through the window. “We all know you haven’t been sleeping. None of us wanted to add another thing for you to deal with. Plus, you may have tried to kill Derek yourself.”

“Don’t assume I’m not still seriously considering it,” She muttered. 

He tapped the wheel. “While it’s tempting, please don’t. I… we didn’t mention it earlier, but Isaac was… really prepared to kill Lydia. Like, he seemed excited . And we tried to reason with him, Will especially, but…” Sighing, he glanced over at her again. “He threatened to kill you too. Said you already thought he was a killer, anyway. I know you care about him, but I don’t think he’s the same guy as before.”

Nina swallowed and nodded as her throat tightened. Another thing that was her fault. “Anything else?”

“Lydia doesn’t hate you.” At that, she turned her head to finally face him. “You said she hates you at the club. The entire time we were dragging her around, all she asked about — besides what the hell was going on — was where you were and if you were okay. If anything, after last night, you might be the only one she still trusts.” He didn’t like admitting to the possibility of Lydia not liking him, even platonically. 

Still, it comforted her. A little bit. “I’m going to tell her. Everything.”

“I figured.” He looked back at her again, but shot his head back to face the road as soon as he made eye contact, and he cleared his throat. “Look, I’m sorry that we didn’t tell you. And trust me when I say we will never do it again. Or never not do it — we’ll clue you in on all of our plans so you can rip them apart before they happen.”

Nina pressed back into the passenger seat and sighed. “Thanks.” She reached up to grab her pendant. “And thanks… for last night. You didn’t have to do that.” Stiles had taken her to his house and made sure she wouldn’t vomit in his bed before he and Scott stole the transport vehicle. When she woke up in his room to his alarm, he was snoring on the floor. 

His cheeks flushed red as he scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I — of course, y’know, I wouldn’t just… leave you, and it was closer than your apartment, and you would’ve gotten in trouble—”

“I’m already in trouble,” Nina snorted. “I have a ten o’clock curfew, and my phone is dead so I couldn’t say anything ahead of time. I’ll probably be grounded for the next few months. But I appreciate the thought.” She would have said something to him about bringing her home beforehand, but she had passed out in the Jeep and barely comprehended getting to his room. The lack of sleep, alcohol, and general stress had caught up with her to the point that she was sure he had taken her shoes off for her, but Nina wasn’t about to ask and face the embarrassment of the answer. 

Stiles eventually pulled up to the building, and Nina returned his hoodie. As she began climbing out of the car, he stopped her. “I, uh, just thought you should know… I thought you looked really beautiful last night.”

She paused, her hand hovering over the door handle, and looked back at him. His face was still a bit red, but he appeared genuine. “What, but not today? Day-old makeup and knotted hair doesn’t do it for you?”

He closed his eyes and groaned. “You’re the worst, forget it—”

Nina let out a dry laugh. “No shot, Bilinski, I’m allowed to give you all as much shit as I want after what you pulled. Will and Allison are in for it, too.”

The annoyed look he gave her softened when he saw her grin, and he nodded. “Jesus, fine. Lay it on me. What'd ya got?”

Biting the inside of her cheek, Nina tried to force down the smile. She was supposed to be mad — she was mad, but couldn’t find it in her to show it. “That’s it. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” The corner of Stiles’s mouth spread into a wide, closed-lipped smile. “And you do look beautiful today.”

There was something different than when Danny said it. Obviously, the first one being that Danny had called her hot, not beautiful, and the second being that he was gay. There was no level of attraction there. Of course she knew he meant it, but it still felt like it didn’t count. He’d said it to placate her complaining. Stiles said it completely unprompted. He could have had the motive of wanting to make her less mad, but she’d already mostly calmed down by then. But there still had to be a reason. He couldn’t just say that — he was still staring. Nina gulped, her eyes wide. “Right. Bye. Thank you. For the ride. And that.” She made sure she didn’t fall out of the Jeep, not ready to endure that level of mortification, and bid him goodbye as she walked down the pavement up to the door of the lobby. When Nina turned around to check, Stiles was still there, watching her from the Jeep. He lifted his hand, and she did the same. The Jeep didn’t pull away until she was inside.

The journey to her apartment filled her with dread. It was too early for Jen to have left for work, and too late for her to sneak in undetected. The only one who may have been asleep was Will, but as she reached the door and heard his raised voice, it was unlikely. She paused with her hand on the knob and key in the lock, but couldn’t decipher what was being said. With a deep exhale, Nina steeled herself. Protection and strength. She doubted the pendant considered motherly rage to be evil , but it could serve as a placebo for her own sake. Nina unlocked the door and stepped inside, immediately finding herself frozen at the sight of her.

“Neither of you thought to mention this to us before ?” Will demanded as Jen polished a hunting rifle, and Mick counted ammo. 

None of them registered Nina’s presence until the door shut behind her, and they all halted. Jen was the first to move, placing the shotgun on the sofa and running to embrace her. “Oh, thank god! You are so grounded — are you alright? Where the hell were you?”

She returned the hug to her mother, lowering her hand to grab the box from the holster on her hip. As she lifted it to eye level, Nina saw that it was a box of cartridges, with a label of a tall plant with small purple flowers.

Chapter Text

“Wow.” Allison turned to Nina and Will once her car was parked in the school parking lot — Nina was officially grounded from car privileges, so Allison offered to give them a ride as no one trusted Will with the keys. “I had no idea there was even a job for that sort of thing. I thought hunters did it all.”

“Most do, most of the time,” Will answered. “Werewolves are pretty easy to identify and take care of. But if a new creature pops up after a few centuries that they can’t figure out, they hire Mick. Or whoever is local.”

Allison’s brow furrowed in deep thought as she turned the car off. “Huh. Did your mom know?”

Jen and Mick sat together on the couch, the former in a tight ball of worry as the latter only watched her wring her hands. “I left the business long before you kids were born. I didn’t want to be in that life anymore.”

“So you came to one of the supernatural capitals of the world,” Mick muttered under his breath. Jen let out a frustrated huff, but didn’t reply to him.

Will was the only one standing, his arms crossed over his chest as he gave the two a stern look. “You knew about Peter Hale? That the murderer was a werewolf?” He watched Jen carefully, biting the inside of his cheek to keep the feelings of betrayal at bay.

“Of course not.” Once she said it, Jen deflated. The truth was no longer a given, for any of them. “If I had, I never would have let you two anywhere near that case, not even just to research. I had no idea how closely you had inserted yourself.”

As soon as they passed the principal’s office, Allison was whisked inside by Gerard. Not trusting herself in case she was ambushed by Isaac again, Nina quickly put her things away and went straight to history. Boyd wasn’t there yet. While she waited for class to start, she stewed quietly over Will’s telling of what happened Wednesday evening. The only one with a weapon was Allison, so Will went to get a knife — or anything to properly defend himself, and Isaac knocked him out in the kitchen. He was still ashamed of not being able to do anything. 

She hadn’t been looking when someone sat down next to her, so when she looked up to chew out Boyd, she found Danny instead. “I am so sorry about the club,” She blurted, the guilt immediately resurfacing. The anger had been a convenient distraction. “I wanted to find you—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Danny laughed, jovial as ever. “Trust me, I’m just glad you got out of there. The police questioned me for like, an hour. And Scott had to steal back my fake ID.”

Nina wasn’t convinced. “We didn’t even hang out.”

Rolling his eyes, Danny smiled. “We hung out on the drive, and in line. I wanted to dance with a hot guy, and you got to flirt with a hot girl. We’re good.”

Part of that stuck out to her. “Evelyn was a classmate of mine at Berkeley. We were just catching up. I wasn’t flirting.”

“Well, she was flirting with you.”

Nina frowned. “That makes no sense.”

“Nina, she laughed at everything you said.”

“She was laughing at everything , period. I’m fairly sure she was crossfaded.”

Danny’s eyes widened incredulously. “She got up close to you to ‘look at’ your necklace! Come on, that was such an obvious move!”

She stopped running her finger over the edges of the pendant at Danny’s words. Evelyn had made unnecessary skin-contact while looking at it, her fingers brushing against Nina’s collarbone. When Nina tried taking it off so Evelyn could get a better look, she said no. That could easily get written off as her being drunk, though. Couldn’t it? Her face warmed. “I… shut up.”

He only laughed again as Nina groaned. This was the second time she hadn’t noticed someone was flirting with her — or, at least, the second time it was brought to her attention. How was she not noticing it?

“That’s what I would love to know,” Mick spoke up, earning glares from the twins. “How did you not realize, Imogen? These two have been involved in nearly every werewolf-related occurrence in the past few months . Nothing about that struck you as odd?”

“Oh, please, it’s not like we told her what we saw. What was she supposed to do, ask if we saw a monster running around town?”

Mick wasn’t impressed with the attempt to defend her. “No, she wasn’t supposed to ask. She was supposed to notice . Because that’s what we were taught to do our whole life, and it’s what you were taught to do. You both should have figured her out a lot sooner, too.”

“We were a bit preoccupied with not dying.” Nina sat hunched over her mug of coffee, still getting over the light hangover.

“What if it had been someone hiding information in order to harm you?” Mick leaned forward, his expression cold and unyielding. “There isn’t an excuse for stupidity. This all could have been avoided if any of you paid attention. Or if it wasn’t a secret in the first place.”

Nina and Will sat alone at lunch, ignoring the chatter around them from other students. Since Allison’s family knew about what happened Wednesday night, distance was important. The Argents didn’t need a bigger excuse to pick them apart and interrogate them individually. Will had been incapacitated, and Nina wasn’t there, meaning they were the least likely to know anything. They sat across one another, with the next few seats on either side of them unoccupied. It felt weird now, in a way it hadn’t in a while. A month prior, and Nina would have sought it out instead of being forced to endure Jackson and his lacrosse ‘friends.’ 

“We can’t end up like them.” Will had been poking around a salad when he spoke up, his voice hard. 

Nina pursed her lips. “We won’t. The only way that would happen is if one of us took after Mickey, and I know I’m not completely insufferable. You’re only… mostly insufferable.”

“Thanks.” He rolled his eyes and ran his hands over his face. “I mean it. Mum just… left her family. For seven years. And she still hasn’t told Mick anything about it except the fact that she was here during that time. We didn’t know that.”

“Mick isn’t entitled to anything,” Nina reasoned.

Letting out a sigh, he glanced around the cafeteria. “I know that. He’s a dick. But how much of that is from before she left, and how much of it is from after she came back?”

“You think she left just for the fun of it?” Her eyes widened as she challenged him and set her apple back on the plastic tray. “She went no-contact with our grandparents and Mick. From that alone, I can guess how much of his dickery was from before .”

Will paused, then sighed once more. “You’re right. I just… I see them, and how much they act like strangers, and I wonder how long it would have taken you to tell me about everything if I hadn’t intercepted you in the hospital parking lot. If you would have told me at all.”

He didn’t look at her as her face fell. “You know I would have told you as soon as I could have. I needed Scott to show you, we — I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t been exposed directly.”

After a few moments, he nodded. “When are you telling Lydia?”

“Who hired you?” Nina turned her focus onto Mick, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of wedging more distrust between the twins and Jen. “We know you’re not here to be supportive. So who are you working for? Chris, Victoria, or Gerard?”

The corner of Mick’s mouth turned up slightly — the most genuine version of a smile he could manage. “Gerard hired me. Since we’re on the topic, how about you both tell me about the kanima.”

“You need help?” Will tested, his eyes narrowed.

“Of course I need help. This creature hasn’t been recorded in centuries. And since Nina has been working on Argent's bestiary, I’d say she’s the resident expert.”

Nina frowned. “I’m not finished with it yet. If this is your job as well, don’t you have your own?” 

“Obviously. But every bestiary is different, and what’s in the Argent’s may not be in mine, and vice versa.” He leaned back into the couch and rested his feet on the coffee table, putting one leg over the other. “And no, I won’t translate the Argent’s for you. This is part of the job, and you need to finish it on your own.”

Dick. Nina felt her eye twitch. “You can’t trust Gerard. You have to be smart enough to know that.”

His brow quirked as he looked back at her. “From what I’ve gathered, it seems like I can’t trust the two of you.”

“Mick.”

He ignored Jen’s protests. “You’ve known about the kanima for a while, haven’t told anyone, put the general public at risk—”

“You know just as well as us that it’s not going after the general public,” Will interrupted. “Everything we’ve found says it only goes after murderers.”

“Which is okay?” Mick appeared more flabbergasted than disappointed. “That’s what the criminal justice system is for.”

“Since when did you believe in the criminal justice system?”

“Since when did you believe in playing with people’s lives?”

“You’re an adult Mick, please act like it for once.” Jen glared at her brother and then turned to the twins, her gaze softening. “Go to your rooms, you two. We’ll talk about this later.”

~~~

Nina didn’t look up from the computer at the front desk as she updated Deaton’s calendar with a new appointment. It took longer than it usually would, since she was typing with only one hand, the other petting the senior cat purring in her lap. “You aren’t scheduled,” She muttered, almost as though she were just saying it aloud to herself rather than Scott, who tapped his fingers against the counter.

Scott was tense as he looked down at her. “I need to talk to you.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

He huffed. “I don’t have a pet , Nina, of course I don’t have an appointment.”

“Then I’m afraid I’m very busy.” She punctuated her denial with the loud click of the mouse as she finalized the check-up for next week. “I have to have Deaton put in an order for prednisolone and chlorambucil for Madam President Mimsy. Isn’t that right?” She looked down at the blue Persian cat, who stared right back up at her and let out a long, raspy meow. “Yes, that’s a very good point, Madam President. I’ll make sure he prescribes more chicken in your diet as well.”

“Are you seriously still pissed at me? Stiles and Allison said you forgave them already!”

“That’s because they apologized.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do!”

Nina sighed. She knew she was only giving Scott a hard time because of the aftermath of talking to Lydia. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, but she didn’t have to be a dick about it. “Fine.”

His shoulders dropped in relief. “Thank you. I need help figuring out how to stop Gerard.”

“That’s not an apology.”

Scott groaned. “I’m trying to make it up to you. No one else can know about it.”

Rolling her eyes, Nina took a deep breath. “I’m not exactly in the mood to keep more secrets from my friends. It hasn’t turned out so well thus far.”

“You told Lydia, huh?” Nina bit the inside of her cheek and Scott scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry. I, uh… y’know, when Stiles told me I was a werewolf, I didn’t believe him. I was a real jerk about it, too. She’ll come around eventually.”

“Thanks,” She replied, her voice coming out flat.

“Yeah.” He glanced around, as though waiting for someone to appear. Deaton was out for lunch, so they were alone in the clinic. “Look, I get that you don’t want to lie anymore. Neither do I. But Gerard… he threatened my mom, Nina. I can’t just hope he’s bluffing. And the more people that know, the bigger chance of him figuring it out. I need a plan.”

Gerard officially knew about Scott. She figured it wouldn’t take very long. “Tell me everything he said to you. Everything .”

Scott let out a sigh and nodded.

~~~

“You seriously did all of this in a week?” Allison scrolled through her tablet with the finished translation as they walked to the library. After using most of the weekend to distract herself with the translation, the section on the kanima was finally done, and Nina had sent it to Allison the night prior.

“Yeah, I know.” Nina sighed. “But with school, work, family —”

“Uh huh.” Allison rolled her eyes. “Can you take a compliment? This is amazing, and you saved us a lot of time and effort. Thank you.”

Nina held the door open and Allison passed through. “Fine. You’re welcome.”

A few steps into the library, Allison stopped. “You think this says ‘ master ?’”

She passed the tablet to Nina, who found what she was talking about. “ Dominus ? Of course it means master. It’s where the word dominate comes from. It also means lord or owner , but in this context master made the most sense. Why?”

“Miss Morrell said the kanima seeks a friend.”

“No, friend is amicus . Morrell should know that, the French word for friend is ami .”

Allison kept walking, glancing back at the security camera in the room. “I don’t know, she said her Latin wasn’t great.”

Interesting. Nina hummed, making a mental note to talk to her guidance counselor and teacher at the end of the day. Once the two spotted Stiles and Scott in one of the aisles, Nina and Allison moved to the opposite side of the shelf, and Allison passed the tablet through the gap. “That’s all of it,” Allison whispered.

“All of it?” Scott repeated. “Nina, you didn’t have to translate everything. Just the important parts.”

Nina pushed all of the books to the side and glared at Scott through the shelf. “How exactly am I supposed to know what the important parts are if I don’t know what it says? Explain that to me.”

Scott paled as he stared back at her with his jaw dropped. “Right. Uh, sorry. And thank you.” He looked down at the tablet and scrolled before glancing back up, not making eye contact. “Does it say how to find out who’s controlling him?”

Before Nina could innocently ask if Scott could read , Allison tapped in by placing a hand on her shoulder. “Not a lot, just that the person would have a strong urge for revenge of some kind, enough that they would think murder is the only way to get it. Stiles was right about the murderers.”

“It calls the kanima a ‘weapon of vengeance,” Nina continued. “From the bits of the rest of the bestiary I’ve translated, other creatures are referred to with some degree of sentience, or even personhood. The kanima is only ever regarded as a tool.”

Allison nodded. “There’s a story in there about this South American priest who uses the kanima to execute murderers in his village.”

“So maybe it’s not all that bad,” Stiles offered.

“Until the bond grew strong enough that it killed whoever he wanted it to.”

“All bad, all very, very bad.”

The girls lowered their voices when the librarian passed, and Allison grabbed a book to look like they were busy. “Here’s the thing, though. The kanima’s actually supposed to be a werewolf, but it can’t be—”

“—Until it resolves that in its past which manifested it,” Scott finished, finally learning how to read.

Stiles scoffed. “Okay, if that means that Jackson could use a few thousand hours of therapy, I could’ve told you that myself.”

“But we have to find the specific issue and resolve it, not just kind of address all the million things wrong with him.” Nina huffed and leaned back against the shelf, folding her arms over her chest. 

“Which will take forever.”

Allison’s brow furrowed, deep in thought, before she looked back up. “What if it has something to do with his parents? His real parents.”

“Does anybody actually know what happened to them?”

Nina felt a little uncomfortable under Allison’s expectant stare. “Why would I know?”

“Because you know everything,” Stiles answered.

“I know everything that’s important,” She corrected with a huff. “And unfortunately, I did not think anything about Jackson was important enough to know about. But… if he told anyone, it would be Danny or Lydia. But Danny would never talk about it.”

“Can you ask Lydia?” 

“No.” Her voice came out sharper than intended, but that didn’t stop Stiles from trying to argue. “I’m not doing it. Someone else can.”

Scott spoke up next. “But what if she doesn’t know anything?”

“Well, Jackson doesn’t have a restraining order against me, so I’ll talk to him myself.” Allison put the book back on the shelf, and Nina couldn’t help but look to make sure it was in the right spot.

“But he still knows you were involved.” Nina took the book back out and slid it back into the correct order, ignoring the offended look from Allison. “The only reason you weren’t included was because you didn’t walk into the police station and confess.”

“Hey! We were there for a different reason,” Stiles protested, causing Nina to give him a testy look through the shelf. “We just happened to go there when Jackson was there and… told my dad that we did it.”

“So you shouldn’t talk to him alone.” Scott stared at Allison in concern. “What should I do?”

“You have a makeup exam, remember? Promise me.” Allison took Scott’s hand through the shelf.

Scott exhaled, his mouth pressed into a thin line. “If he does anything, you run the other way.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“You can, but that doesn’t mean you have to.” Nina knew that Allison wouldn’t accept the help if she thought it was offered to try and ‘protect’ her. “I’ll go with you. I’ll just wait around the corner or something, so he doesn’t know I’m there. It’s smart to have backup.”

Allison still seemed unsure, but nodded. “Fine.”

~~~

Once it was time for lunch, Allison and Nina met up to track down Jackson. They followed him down to the locker room, pausing whenever he showed a sign of hearing them. He went into the boys’ locker room, and hearing no one else in there, and the girls gave each other a nod. Allison would go in while Nina would be outside — if anything went awry, Allison would yell for her.

Just as Allison reached for the door handle, it opened, and Matt exited. They all startled, and Matt grinned. “Oh, you just scared the hell out of me,” He chuckled, his friendly smile faltering when he noticed Nina behind Allison.

“Sorry,” Allison apologized softly, not wanting to alert Jackson of their presence. “I was just — uh, we were…” She glanced back at Nina helplessly.

“Allison’s heels were bothering her, we were going to swap them out for her gym shoes.” 

Matt tilted his head. “The both of you?”

“What, you’ve never heard of girl code? I guess you’ve never talked to a woman long enough.” Nina didn’t bother to hide her own glare as Matt did the same. 

Turning to Nina with wide eyes, Allison whispered at her to shut up . “Nina, how about you go get my shoes for me while I talk to Matt.”

She hadn’t had the chance to talk to her about the photos yet. Allison had no idea. Still glaring at Matt, Nina walked past and pushed into the girls’ locker room, not letting the door close all the way as she listened in.

“Did I do something to her, or…”

“No, no, she’s just… having a bad day.”

Eventually, he invited her to a rave at the end of the week, awkwardly, and Allison accepted. When Nina was sure Matt was gone, she exited the locker room and rushed back to Allison. “You can’t go with him.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Allison demanded, whispering. “Matt hasn’t done anything to you!”

“He’s a creep!” Nina whispered back. “At the game, all he did was take photos of you all night.”

“He’s a photographer, I highly doubt they were all of me —”

“They were! I watched him for almost ten minutes—”

“Do you realize that that’s weird?” Allison huffed angrily. “Don’t worry about me. If Matt was a ‘creep,’ I think I’d have noticed by now.” Nina tried to argue, but Allison stopped her. “Just trust me for once, would you?”

“I do trust you! That’s why I’m telling you that he is seriously obsessed. If I didn’t trust you, I would just threaten him to back off myself.”

Throwing her head back, Allison let out a groan. “Listen, thank you for coming with me, but I think I should do this by myself if you’re going to be like this.”

Nina’s eyes widened. “Like what? Looking out for my friend ?

The sound of gagging from inside the boys’ locker room interrupted Allison before she could argue. “I’m sure you have better things to do than just sit and wait out here. Tell you what—” Allison pulled out her phone and brought up Nina’s contact information. “I’m one button away from calling you if necessary. Okay?”

It was clear that Allison would be angry with her if she didn’t comply. With a begrudging sigh, Nina left. As she did, she saw the flash of someone disappearing behind the corner, though she didn’t see anyone when she turned down the hall. She was willing to bet it was Matt.

In the cafeteria, Nina found Will on his laptop, sitting with Boyd. She stood at the end of the table and peered down at Boyd warily. “What are you doing here?”

“He’s fine,” Will waved her off, laser focused on whatever he was typing. “He didn’t attack us or Lydia, he just stood next to Derek the entire time.”

“I don’t like needless violence.” 

Nina snorted. “Alright, then.” At least if he was lying, he was smart enough to not do anything in the crowded cafeteria. “Where’s Erica and Isaac?”

“Erica’s trying to confirm who the kanima is from Stiles, and Isaac is moping in the library.”

“Boyd was trying to get me to tell him who it is as well, but he gave up when he knew I wouldn’t say anything. Now we’re looking into his theory about the kanima breaking the rules.”

She didn’t have time to focus on the fact that Erica was likely threatening Stiles again as Will turned the laptop to face Nina, showing the list of the current victims and their criminal records. John Lahey — public intoxication; Tucker Cornish — minor counts of speeding; and the most recent addition, Sean Long — nothing. The only one not included in the list was the hunter, since Allison hadn’t known his name. “Once the bond is strong enough, the kanima can break the rules,” Boyd explained. “Since none of them have records for murder, it’s possible the connection was already strong enough at the very beginning. Which is… concerning.”

“I really don’t think that’s it.” Will took the computer back as he shook his head. “With the Hale fire, one of the arsonists had their record covered up. It could be the same with these victims.”

“Yeah, but all of them? The Argents only covered for one of the Hale arsonists,” Nina argued. 

Boyd shrugged. “Maybe we’re looking at the wrong thing. Instead of looking at their criminal records, just get a general victimology. Anything else they may have in common, since the guy in charge knows they’re all murderers.”

Nina gaped at Will. “ Why haven’t you looked at the general victimology?”

“Why haven’t you?”

“I’ve been busy translating the bestiary!”

“Hey, do you mind sharing that with me?” She planted one hand on the cafeteria table and turned to Boyd in shock. “It doesn’t have to be the kanima stuff, since you don’t trust us — not that I blame you, we tried to kill an innocent person. But everything else would be nice to know about. Just in case, y’know?”

Nina didn’t know what impressed her more. That Boyd actually had common sense, or that despite the fact that Will felt no blame towards him, Boyd still held himself accountable for the attempted murder of Lydia. “Derek doesn’t have any more stories and rumors for you?” She could be impressed and still not trust him.

He shrugged again. “Derek’s expertise is in werewolves. Besides, it’s best to get information from multiple sources.”

Definitely impressed. If there was any immediate harm in sharing the contents of the bestiary which weren’t about the kanima, Nina couldn’t think of them. “Yeah, sure.” At that point, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and she pulled it out to see Allison’s caller ID. Nina hardly even said goodbye to the boys as she bolted out of the cafeteria.

Outside of the locker room, she found Erica holding Jackson back and Stiles attempting to hold Scott as the two went at each other, Allison standing in the doorway with her hands over her mouth. “ Stop !” Nina put herself in between the group as they all froze. “There are cameras literally everywhere. How stupid are you?”

“What the hell is going on? Jackson!” Harris arrived on the scene with some bystanders, including Matt. Despite the fact that they had stopped fighting, Scott and Jackson were still ready to get back to it. “Mister McCall, would you like to explain yourself? Stilinski?”

“Hey, you know that’s not yours.” Everyone turned as Nina snapped at Matt, who was tapping the tablet.

He gaped, eyes wide. “Oh — uh, you dropped this, Allison.” He held it out to her, and Harris snatched it from him.

Using the tablet, Harris pointed at Jackson and Scott. “You, and you…” After a moment of deliberation, he gestured around the entire circle. “Actually, all of you… detention. Three o’clock.”

~~~

Once everyone filed out of French class after the final bell of the day, Nina approached Morrell at her desk. “Nina, hi.” Morrell gave her the typical professional smile. “Did you need something?”

“Why did you give Allison the wrong translation?”

Morrell stared at her blankly, glancing at the open door for a brief moment. “Oh, you mean that book she came to me about? I’m not fluent in Latin, I’m sorry if my attempt caused any issues—”

“Along with your master's degree in psychology, you have an additional Masters in anthropology and had a minor in linguistics.” Nina watched Morrell’s face and body language, not getting anything. She was good. “While that alone doesn’t add up to knowing ancient Latin, the fact that you ‘confused’ the word with friend is concerning. Especially when the French word for friend comes from Latin.”

She let out a small chuckle. “You know what, I’m actually glad we’re having this conversation. Why don’t you have a seat?” Nina complied and sat down at the desk directly across from Morrell’s, the school desktop filled with pencil drawings and engraved swear words. “My interpretation of the text Allison supplied me with was based on the surrounding context. I didn’t get a lot, but the… kanima, was it? It’s a shapeshifter, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Meaning it’s also a person.” Nina nodded. “Now, I don’t know about you, but most people I know would much rather seek out a friend than a master.”

“I didn’t say what the word actually was.” Nina’s eyes narrowed on Morrell as she only blinked. “I know you know something. Can you please help us?”

Morrell smiled. “Of course, I can help you during our scheduled meetings—”

“People are dying —”

“People are always dying, Nina.” She leaned forward, her voice comforting instead of scolding. “Every day, people are born, and people die. You can’t stop it. If you try, it will only disrupt the natural balance.”

Nina grit her teeth. “Can’t the same thing be said for trying to end someone’s life before it’s meant to end naturally?”

“You’re aligning yourself too closely with one side.” 

“Gerard said everyone needs to choose a side eventually. Why not now?”

She let out a disappointed sigh and scribbled something down on her desk. “Because you don’t understand how to choose between what’s right and what’s necessary. At least not yet.” 

She ripped a piece of paper from a pad and held it out to Nina. She got up from the desk and took it. It was a pass to be late from detention with Harris, which already started. “Thanks.”

“Remember what I said in our first meeting,” Morrell urged. “Anyone who tries to tip the scales in their favor will face natural consequences. Intervening with the natural end for someone distant to you can result in the unnatural end of someone close to you.”

That was way too ‘mystical’ for her taste, even for a world of werewolves and kanimas. “I think that’s just a convenient excuse to stay complicit.” She wouldn’t allow herself to live like that anymore.

Morrell stood from her own desk and nodded. “That’s your choice. My brother may be retired, Nina, but that doesn’t mean I am.”

Huh? Of all of the revelations Nina expected from Morrell, that was not one of them. She stared at Morrell in shock. “You look nothing alike.”

She chuckled again as Nina grabbed her bag and the two left the room. “We get that a lot, actually.”

“What’s with the last names, then? Are one of you married?”

Morrell closed and locked the classroom door and gave Nina a knowing smile. “There are multiple reasons for siblings to have different last names.”

“Ugh. Never mind. The family resemblance lies in the vagueness.” She should have known when Morrell answered any question from a student with ‘What do you think the answer is?’ Not wanting to run the risk of Harris holding her back the exact amount of time she’d been late, Nina said goodbye to Morrell and went to the library.

~~~

“Miss Holmes, if I recall correctly, I believe I said detention was at—”

“I have a pass from Miss Morrell.” Nina walked up to the librarian’s desk where Harris sat and handed him the signed note. “I was talking to her.”

He stared at her with his eyes narrowed. “About?”

“She’s the guidance counselor. You can ask her, but I don’t think you want to open that legal bag of worms with the son of a lawyer present,” Nina responded, equally deadpan.

She ignored Jackson as he muttered, “My dad would never represent you.”

Harris also ignored it and didn’t argue with her further, inspecting the note closely as though it were a forgery. Finally, his lip curled as he looked back up at her. “Sit down.”

“Yes, Sir .” She gave him a mock salute and sat in the closest seat, which was next to Stiles with Scott sitting across from them. On the opposite side of the seating area, Allison sat with Jackson and Matt, and Erica sat by herself. 

“Hey,” Stiles whispered, leaning in so he was closer to both Scott and Nina. “What if it’s Matt? I mean, this whole thing comes back to the video, doesn’t it?”

Nina hummed in consideration as she watched Matt offer Jackson some snacks. If Morrell was right about the human side seeking out a friend… “It’s definitely possible.”

“Really?” Stiles straightened, asking a little too loudly, earning a shush from Harris.

Scott leaned in as well and shook his head. “Danny said it was Matt who found the two hours of footage missing,” He said.

“Exactly! He’s trying to throw suspicion off himself.”

“Before suspicion was ever on him in the first place?”

“You know, I really hate when you do the whole ‘playing both sides’ thing,” Stiles grumbled, losing the initial excitement of her agreeing with him.

Nina rolled her eyes. “We need to be sure before accusing anybody. If you’re really convinced, go ask him how he feels about large bodies of water.” Suddenly, a thought struck her that made her stomach drop as Stiles and Scott continued talking. If Matt was the one in control of the kanima, and if fears transferred to it… what about desires? Allison had mentioned what Jackson — while under the kanima’s trance — had attempted to do, which resulted in Scott attacking him in the locker room and them all getting detention. Nina knew that Jackson wasn’t interested in Allison, and any prior attempts to sleep with her were solely to get under Scott’s skin. But Matt was interested in her. If Matt’s crush resulted in borderline stalking, how would those feelings manifest in the kanima?

Stiles’s hand waving in her face broke her out of her inner spiral. Both he and Scott stared at her in concern. “What is it? You look like you’re gonna kill someone. Is it Matt? Did you see something that proves he’s evil?”

“No. It’s nothing.” She had no proof. And if the simple theory made her want to grab the sword from Gerard’s office, she definitely wasn’t going to trust Scott with it. 

Thankfully, Scott let it go before Stiles could press her. “You just don’t like him,” He said to Stiles, who was still eyeing Nina warily.

“The guy just… bugs me. I don’t know what it is.” He relented and leaned back in his chair. “Just… look at his face. Plus, he hates Nina.”

Nina’s brow furrowed as she turned to question him. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Jackson tried to attack you as the kanima, remember?”

“You guys said you found out he was at the club to steal Danny’s tablet, not to kill me.”

“What about at the pool?” 

While it could count as evidence, it was circumstantial at best. “Plenty of people hate me. I’ve made a lot of guys hate me as Lydia’s rejection manager.” It wasn’t an official job, but too many boys had blamed Nina for Lydia’s lack of interest to not earn a title for it. “If that’s part of the criteria, then you should add the entire boys’ tennis team to the suspect list. Even you hated me.”

“I did not hate you,” Stiles argued. “I just… mildly disliked you. A lot.”

Scott stared at him blankly. “Do you have any other ideas?”

Across the room, Jackson let out a harsh gasp and pressed his fingers tightly against his temples. He grabbed his backpack and left, giving a rushed excuse about needing water, and Harris followed. Immediately, Scott and Stiles moved to Erica’s table, and Nina followed.

“Stiles says you know how Jackson’s parents died.”

“ Why are we talking to her about this?” Nina demanded.

Stiles sunk down in his chair as Erica smirked. “Don’t worry, Stiles didn’t tell me. I figured it out. But yeah, maybe I do know how they died.”

Scott gestured with his hands. “Talk.”

Apparently eager to share, Erica shut her notebook and set it down. “It was a car accident. My dad was the insurance investigator, and every time he sees Jackson drive by in his Porsche, he makes some comment about the huge settlement he’ll be getting when he’s eighteen.”

“So not only is Jackson rich now, but he’s getting even richer at eighteen?” 

“Yep,” Erica replied with a smirk.

Stiles sighed. “There’s something so deeply wrong with that.”

After a moment of letting it sink in, Erica opened her laptop. “I can try to find the insurance report in my dad’s inbox. He keeps everything.”

“If you don’t find it, I’ll have Will look into the company records.” Stiles gaped at her, and she rolled her eyes. “If you’re about to complain about that being illegal, you should probably worry about your own permanent record.”

Over the intercom, Victoria Argent’s voice echoed through the library, calling Scott down to the principal’s office. Scott sent Nina a wide-eyed look. “What do I do?”

“You go.” If Scott got too worked up, his own insistence on keeping the plan against Gerard a secret would be useless. “You haven’t done anything. He probably just wants to figure out what happened in the locker room. Don’t tell him anything.”

Scott nodded and left, and Erica was able to find the report just as Jackson walked back in, face ashen and covered in sweat. Nina almost felt bad for him. “Passengers arrived at the hospital D.O.A. The estimated time of death… 9:26 pm, June fourteenth, 1995.”

“Jackson’s birthday is June fifteenth,” Stiles pointed out.

Harris started packing his things, prompting everyone else to do so. “Oh, no, I’m sorry,” He chuckled, not even remotely apologetic. “Yes, I’m leaving. But none of you are. You may go when you’re done with the reshelving.” He patted the disorganized book carts. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

While everyone else grabbed a random cart and moved to a random shelf, Erica and Nina were the only ones to unload the carts first and organize from there. At one point, Scott came back from the office, immediately joining Stiles and Allison. 

“If you have something to say, get it out,” Nina said aloud, glancing at Erica. She had been silently stewing over something, throwing her the occasional pointed look. 

Erica lifted a few books from the current stack she was working on and slipped one into it. “Do you remember when we first met?”

“Yeah, at the hospital. What about it?” Nina had missed her very first day at Beacon Hills because of an episode, and she’d been taken to the hospital, where she shared a room with Erica. She had been recovering from a seizure, and slept more than she talked, but they were eventually able to gather that they were both starting high school and had a few of the same classes.

Erica had a small smirk, but it seemed more sad than anything. “I didn’t have a lot of friends in middle school. No one I could call a friend, anyway. And then I met you. And you seemed so nice , and you knew what it was like — to have something like that take over your life. I thought I finally found a real friend. Then the next day, in science, who sits next to you but Lydia Martin . And you never talked to me again.”

“Given that you tried to kill her, I think I made the right choice.” Not that it was a conscious choice in the first place. The simple fact was that Erica never talked to her again, either. Nina had never been the type to seek people out. 

“I heard what she said about me in the locker room that day. That I just wanted people to feel bad for me.”

Nina sighed. “I’m not going to defend that. It was fucked up.”

“I know. I heard you defend me, too.” She huffed and loaded another finished stack onto the cart. “When Isaac insisted on how cool you were, I really didn’t want to believe him. Especially since you were still friends with her after what she said. But then you strolled into the pool, carrying a sword , while I was paralyzed and couldn’t do anything. And then you tore Derek a new one afterwards. All while still being human.”

“You should consider seeing Morrell about your self esteem issues.” Nina didn’t attempt to think of why Erica was saying this to her as she loaded the rest of the books onto the cart and began to wheel it away, Erica on her heels. “So what’s going to happen now that you know Jackson’s the kanima?” She muttered under her breath, knowing Erica could still hear her. “Are you going to report back to Derek and try to kill him again? That didn’t work out so well for you last time.”

Erica shrugged and the two started reshelving. “It depends on what Derek wants to do.”

“Maybe Derek isn’t the person you should be listening to.”

Before she could respond, Erica’s brow furrowed as though she had heard something and she turned to look at the shelf which separated them and Jackson and Matt. She stepped closer to the shelf, quietly moving the books to the side to peer through, and Nina joined her to look. Jackson stood completely still, staring down at Matt, who was paralyzed on the ground. Jackson’s head snapped to Nina and Erica, his eyes now reptilian as scales crawled up his neck. 

Erica backed away from the shelf as Nina called out, holding her arms out to guard Nina. Sparks flew down as Jackson jumped over the shelves and slammed into the lights overhead. 

“Get down!” Erica ordered, and Nina did as she was told. Jackson knelt down in front of them, and Erica grabbed their book cart and threw it at him. He dodged and shot forward, swiping at Erica, and she fell to the floor with a yell. Nina scrambled backwards, her heart racing as Jackson stepped over Erica to her, the scales now covering half of his face. How many times would he try to kill her?

Thankfully, that question wouldn’t be answered in that exact moment, as Scott threw Jackson out of the aisle and attacked. Erica was grunting in frustration, trying to force herself to move, when she suddenly gagged and started jerking. 

Shit. Nina pulled her jacket off and folded it, gently lifting Erica’s head and placing it underneath. She made sure Erica was on her side when the sound of writing on a chalkboard drew her attention. Jackson was at the board, writing as though he were possessed. Or as though the kanima was possessed by him. 

STAY OUT OF MY WAY OR I’LL KILL ALL OF YOU.

Was it a message from the kanima’s master, or from Jackson? Was it a threat or a warning? Jackson jumped through the window, leaving all of them in the library with Matt paralyzed and Erica still seizing. 

Nina’s mind went into overdrive as Erica started crying. How would werewolf seizures differ from human ones? Despite the paralysis, her muscles were still spasming. Was she aware of her surroundings? “Erica, can you hear me? Can you talk?”

“D— Derek. Need… Derek.” 

Scott and Stiles rushed to Nina and Erica as Allison went to check on Matt. “She needs a hospital,” Stiles said.

Nina shook her head. “I don’t think they can help her. Maybe Deaton?”

“Derek!”

“None of us know where he is, and you can’t exactly give us directions!”

“Matt’s alive!”

She needed silence . Nina grabbed Erica’s phone from her back pocket, seeing the screen was cracked in the scuffle and now wouldn’t turn on. Shit . Think. She needed to think , and she couldn’t do that with Scott and Allison arguing about whether or not Scott helping Erica ‘meant’ something, and Stiles insisting on Erica needing a hospital over her strangled sobs. “Everyone, shut up! ” Nina dragged her fingers through her hair when it hit her, and she pulled out her own phone. It only took a few dial tones before the call connected, and Nina all but shouted into the phone, “Erica was paralyzed and now she’s having a seizure. Where’s Derek? Now , Isaac!”

Chapter Text

After plenty of attempts to figure out what happened at school on Monday, Mick and Jen decided to divide and conquer. Jen took on Will, who had less first-hand information, and Mick took Nina. Straight to the Argent residence. Spending her Wednesday evening in their basement wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, but Mick and Gerard both had other plans.

“People are dying , Nina,” Mick urged. Nina resisted the urge to respond with what Morrell said to her. “A mother and her child were murdered. We need to know who the kanima and its master is.” The latest victims had been murdered on Monday. A man, early in the morning, and the woman later that night, in the hospital. She was pregnant, and the baby died as well.

“So more people can die. By killing them.”

“This is not a person.” Gerard was slowly losing his ‘kind old man’ façade the more he and Mick failed to get her to talk. The only information she had revealed was what Mick already knew; that she knew who the kanima was. And she could see it getting to him. “It’s a murderer. A monster. Two of them.”

“ One of them,” Nina corrected. “The master is the murderer. The kanima is nothing more than a glorified weapon, and it can be cured.”

Mick set his jaw and glared down at where she was seated, at a counter full of ammo and guns. “You are not so naive to actually believe that. It’s a story .”

“So is everything!” 

“If I may…” Gerard was interrupted by his own cough. “Maurice, I think your presence may be agitating Miss Holmes further, and vice versa. Why don’t you head upstairs? We’ll just have a little chat, it won’t take long.”

Mick’s eye twitched. “Alright.” He left the basement as Nina rolled her eyes. 

Once Mick was gone, Gerard smiled, the same underlying cruelty as Kate apparently genetic. “You’re choosing the wrong side, Miss Holmes.” He lifted a pistol and turned it over in his palm. “Chris took Allison to the hospital to see the most recent victims for herself. She’ll tell us everything we need to know.”

“Then why bother bringing me here?”

He took a pack of bullets and loaded them into the magazine. “I know the kanima is one of your friends, otherwise you wouldn’t be so hell bent on protecting it. The issue I’m currently having is how to deal with you. It’s a unique combination, caring so deeply about your friends that you don’t want anything to happen to them, and being smart enough to know what I’m realistically capable of doing. You’re too intelligent for a threat against your friends and family to work.” He held the gun out to her. “Consider this a peace offering. I’ll convince Maurice to look into the cure. Believe it or not, I do want the least amount of death possible.”

She didn’t believe it at all. “Minors aren’t allowed possession of a firearm.” It wasn’t a peace offering. It was illegal. And if Gerard had direct proof of Nina taking an unregistered gun from the Argents’ company and home, she could be arrested for theft and unlawful possession, and her mother could possibly be arrested for neglect. Maybe that was the paranoia talking, but she wasn’t going to ignore the warning sirens going off in her mind.

Gerard chuckled and set the gun down. “You’re right. I’m sure Maurice and Imogen have their own ways to make sure you’re safe. You’re free to go.” He lifted his arm and gestured to the stairs, and Nina got up to leave. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped her once more with his hand on her shoulder. “I raised two teenagers. Do you know what I found?”

“That cornering them in a basement is a shitty way of getting information?”

“That they’re so much more willing to accept pain than to let it happen to their friends.” The air escaped Nina as soon as Gerard’s fist made contact with her stomach, and he threw her to the floor. “But even more than that — they will never burden their friends by telling them.” He kicked her harshly in the back when she curled up to protect her face and organs. “Maybe it’s protective in nature, or maybe it’s a streak of masochism — you feel as though you deserve it. But no matter how smart you are, it always gives way to the need to keep your pain hidden away, where it can’t bother anyone.”

He roughly forced her onto her back, and pressed his foot down just under her ribs. “M— Mick —”

“Don’t worry, Miss Holmes. He doesn’t know I’m doing this.” Her heart shot into her throat at the sound of electricity zapping, and she noticed the baton in his hand, blurry from her own tears. “We’re almost done here. I just need to get my point across.”

~~~

“Jesus Christ, what happened to you?”

Nina rolled her eyes as Scott and Deaton led Derek and Isaac into the examination room, Isaac being the one who asked. Scott had also asked earlier, but he was nicer about it. She knew she looked like shit. The last time she looked in the mirror, her skin was ashen and the circles under her eyes were almost purple. “Migraine.”

A saving grace of the night prior was that Gerard assumed the kanima was a friend. Meaning he would likely suspect Jackson the least. She was coughing up blood well into the morning, and all it took was one step outside of her room for her mother to nearly bring her into the hospital. The migraines had lessened in the past couple of weeks, so she could easily convince her family that she was just having a particularly bad one and only needed some sleep. When Mick dropped her off at the clinic, he asked her if she was sure she was alright. He still had no idea. “You should have noticed,” were his exact words to Jen, judging her for not realizing the twins had been involved with werewolves. Maybe she should have told him what happened, if only to rub it in his face. But she couldn’t.

Any time she tried to bring it up, to tell anyone and prove Gerard wrong, something stopped her. Too much was going on. They needed to figure out who the master was — Jackson paralyzing Matt meant the already-circumstantial evidence against him was even more so, despite Stiles’s theory that he had Jackson paralyze him on purpose. Nina could only hope Allison hadn’t told her family about Jackson, but the thought of asking made her nauseous. She got her jawline from Victoria. Her cheekbones from Kate. Her eyes from Gerard. Nina didn’t want to look into those eyes again, at least not for a while. Just until she got over it. 

She couldn’t tell Scott, or else the entire plan would unravel, and they had only just explained it to Deaton to get his advice. She couldn’t tell Allison or Stiles, because there was nothing they could do about it. She couldn’t tell her family, or else she would be locked in her room forever and unable to help. The worst part was that Gerard was right. She didn’t want to bother anyone. It was so insignificant among everything else, if nothing could immediately be done, what was the point of sharing the burden? 

Maybe it’s a streak of masochism — you feel as though you deserve it.

Derek slapped Isaac’s hand away from the bottles on the examination table, breaking Nina from her own thoughts. “Watch what you touch,” He said, barely trying to contain his annoyance.

“How’s Erica?” She asked as Deaton organized the bottles.

They needed Derek on their side to make sure everything went smoothly. Derek needed Scott on his side to make sure he didn’t nearly murder another innocent teenager. Scott had asked her to help him negotiate to save Jackson on Monday, when they brought Erica to their hideout. Derek glanced up at Nina, eyes flicking down to where her arms were folded over her chest, hands clenched so tightly around herself that she almost couldn’t feel them anymore. “She’s better.”

Glass clinking together echoed in the room as Isaac leaned forward, watching Deaton. “So, what are you? Some kind of witch?”

“No. I’m a veterinarian.” Deaton smiled down at Isaac. He dropped the final bottle back into the tray. “Unfortunately, I don’t see anything in here that’s going to be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin.”

“Full-body Kevlar might work, though it’ll look a bit silly.” She was only partially joking. “The toxin doesn’t last as long if it isn’t introduced directly to the spinal cord. Protecting the neck will be the best physical defense.”

Isaac nodded. “What about offense?”

“No, we already tried,” Derek denied. “I nearly took its head off, and Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up.”

Deaton’s brow furrowed. “Has it shown any weaknesses?”

“It can’t swim.”

“Does that go for Jackson as well?”

Scott shook his head. “No, he’s the captain of the swim team.”

Nina ignored the small stitch of pain as she exhaled. “The bestiary says strong emotions — fears, specifically — get shared in the connection. Since the kanima can’t swim, and that’s not documented anywhere in the bestiary, it’s likely the master can’t, either.”

“You need to catch two people,” Deaton nodded. He went back to a drawer behind Nina and brought out a pendant, holding it in front of the three men and then setting it down on the table. The pendant was of a horned person sitting cross-legged; Cernunnos, a Celtic god. “A puppet, and a puppeteer. One killed the husband, but the other had to take care of the wife. Do we know why?”

“The kanima follows strict rules, until the connection grows strong enough to disregard them,” Nina explained. “It only goes after murderers. The wife was pregnant, but not far enough along that the fetus was viable to live on its own. Either the kanima registered it as a separate life, and not a murderer, or Jackson was at least semi-conscious underneath and didn’t want to risk orphaning a child in the same way he was. Possibly a mix of both.”

“Does that mean your dad was a murderer?” Scott asked, turning to Isaac.

Isaac stared off for a moment to reckon with the thought. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he was.”

“The kanima physically can’t break the rules.” Everyone turned back to her as she got them back on track. “That’s why the master had to kill the woman. But now that the master broke one rule, they’re likely to break more. Meaning they won’t need the kanima to murder whoever they want.”

“So time is of the essence.” Deaton grabbed the jar of mountain ash and opened it. “If the master’s fear of water affects the kanima, then what if something that affects the kanima also affects its master?” He sprinkled mountain ash around the pendant. 

Isaac stared at Deaton in confusion. “Meaning what?”

If mountain ash could contain the kanima, perhaps it could also contain the master. “Meaning we can catch them,” Scott answered. “Both of them.”

Dull pain had been building back up in her abdomen as her pain medication wore off, and it was now getting to the point where Isaac and Derek had both locked in on her uneven breath. “I’ll be right back.” She left to go to the break room, where her bag was, and retrieved the bottle of pain meds and some water. She braced herself at the sink for a moment, taking deep breaths to try and manage the pain. 

“What happened?”

She gripped the edge of the sink and screwed her eyes shut at the sound of Isaac’s voice. “Nothing. I told you, it’s a migraine.”

“That’s not your migraine medication.”

Nina huffed and popped two pills into her mouth, washing it down with a paper cup of water. “I was prescribed something new.”

Isaac swiped the bottle and looked at it, shooting her an unimpressed look with his brow quirked and lips pressed into a thin line. “You were prescribed generic ibuprofen?” 

“Don’t pretend that you care.” Nina took the bottle back and stuffed it into her bag. Her attempts to hide the wince as she had to kneel down didn’t work as Isaac immediately went to her side, and she flinched away. “You said everything you needed to. You tried to murder my best friend, and you blamed me for it. You hurt Will. Stiles said you threatened to kill me—”

“I didn’t threaten to kill you!” Isaac bristled. “ That little — I did not threaten to kill you. I would never do that! I said that if you got in the way of us trying to kill Lydia, I would take care of you myself.”

Nina’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped in shock. “What the hell else is that supposed to mean?”

He paused. “Huh. Yeah, I didn’t think about that.” Nina grabbed a clipboard off of the counter and whacked him on the shoulder with it. Lightly, not that she could have put any real effort into hurting him if she wanted to. “Really? You’re resorting to violence, now?”

“You deserve it.”

“Haven’t heard that one in a while.”

“Do not —” She slammed the clipboard down on the counter and hissed in pain, holding her arm out to stop him from approaching her again. “ God , Isaac, what happened? First you say you like me romantically, then you say you were just pretending to like me as a friend the whole time we’ve known each other, which makes no sense to me because one; how does that even work, and two; I know you weren’t pretending to be friends with Will and we’re so similar , as annoying as it is to admit, but then you say you took the bite to protect us, which you then immediately contradict by knocking him out on your mission to kill Lydia , and then you refuse to even look at me at the ice rink and at your little lair after we helped Erica, and now you’re trying act like you care again!” She was lucky she was still holding the clipboard with one hand, as Isaac grabbed her face and tried to kiss her. She managed to slide the clipboard in between them and smacked it against his face twice for good measure. “What — the hell — is wrong with you!”

“I just — Nina, stop it!”

“Isaac!” Derek stood in the doorway, glaring at Isaac as he held Scott behind him, who was in the middle of a transformation. “Get in the car.” Isaac’s shoulders dropped as he threw her one last glance, now full of guilt, and left the break room. Derek had an iron-grip on Scott as he passed to prevent a fight from breaking out. He didn’t let go until Nina heard the bell of the front door, signalling that Isaac was out of the building, and let out a long sigh. “ God, I hate teenagers .”

Derek left, leaving her with Scott in the doorway. At least he had calmed down by now. “Are you okay?” He asked as he stepped into the breakroom.

“I’m fine. He didn’t do anything.” Other than try to kiss her, which was stupid, but he didn’t try to force it on her. From the look on his face afterwards, it seemed more like he had taken a rom-com a bit too seriously. Which only baffled her further. Did he still have a crush on her? Teenage boys were confusing.

 Satisfied with her answer, he glanced down at the clipboard in her hands. “Did you… fight a werewolf with a clipboard ?”

~~~

The pain hadn’t gone away by the next day, but at least the general sense of self loathing had dwindled down. According to Scott, he’d followed Jackson to a random location where tickets to the rave were being sold, and Jackson had been in a trance. Scott’s theory was that the master sent him there to get the tickets to murder someone at the rave. Nina thought that was stupid, but to his credit, the master could also be stupid. Either way, it was worth it to try and trap Jackson there in order to also trap the master. 

While Deaton downloaded Scott and Stiles on the full plan, Nina was bringing in the latest order of pet food that they kept for the overnight stays and fosters. Scott had been helping, but since he needed to know the instructions, he was called in with Stiles. Nina had constructed the plan with Deaton, so she didn’t need to hear it again. Plus, she wasn’t going out onto the field.

“What? Me? Why can’t Nina do it? She knows more about mountain ash than me.”

“Nina’s working tonight,” Deaton said, gesturing to her as she walked into the room with the last two gigantic bags of large breed dog food.

Nina attempted to give Stiles a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine. I measured out an extra ten feet from the perimeter of the building layout, there’s more than enough.” One of the bags slipped down, and in her effort to re-adjust, her ribs panged.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Scott asked. “Haven’t your migraines made you faint before?”

Her smile tightened through the pain. “I’m fine. The migraine has mostly died down, now I’m really just dealing with period cramps.” 

Scott’s nose scrunched up. “But you’re not on your period.”

Nina’s jaw dropped as Stiles and Deaton both turned to stare at Scott in shock and disgust at the implication of how he could tell. “Dude, ew ,” Stiles slapped Scott on the arm. “What’s wrong with you?”

“It’s my pre-menstrual symptoms, you creep,” She snapped, the general surprise of him calling her bluff and knowing he was able to tell when she was on her period causing her to lash out more than she normally would have. Part of her felt bad for calling him a creep , but holy shit it was weird. “Can you drop it now, or would you like to sniff me some more?”

“No, it’s okay,” Scott said hurriedly. “Uh, I’m sorry?”

She sighed and tried to leave to put the bags in the back, but Stiles stopped her. “I’ll help, just — uagh —” Nina relinquished one of the bags to him, but he immediately fell with it to the floor. “I’m fine.”

At this point, a real migraine would crop up. Luckily, Scott and Stiles couldn’t stay long. Deaton did his best to instill as much confidence into Stiles as possible; for the mountain ash to work, he needed to believe in it working. Force of will, according to Deaton. When he’d said that, Stiles had looked to her, remembering their conversation in his room. 

“Why did you say that to him?” Nina asked once the boys left. “You didn’t use any metaphors for me when you had me make the paste.”

Deaton smiled as he started pulling out equipment to make pills. “Because it wouldn’t have worked for you. You’re the type of person who needs to know the ins and outs of what you’re working with. ‘Force of will’ wouldn’t have cut it. And since I can’t tell you exactly how or why mountain ash works, I used your faith in your own abilities.” Nina frowned. Would that method still have worked if he’d used it on her today? “Now, do you want to talk about what actually happened?”

“It doesn’t matter,” She denied quickly. “Gerard wanted to make a point. It was made. If I distract everyone else with it, we won’t be able to move forward with the plan. It’s not important enough to focus on.”

“Do you think your friends would agree?” 

“I’ll find out once this is over.”

He let out a disappointed sigh, which only served to annoy her. “Nina, that pendant I gave you is more than just a symbol. It’s a reminder. Protection doesn’t solely come from you, it comes from the people around you as well. You have to allow your friends to protect you as fiercely as you protect them.”

“I will,” She clipped, her fists clenching against her sides. “After. For now, we need to focus. I was able to get close enough to make the initial switch, but we need to make sure the pills are a perfect match once Scott refills his container. Were you able to get them?” 

“He said… not to ruin the nice image of a grandfather hugging his grandson after hearing good news from the doctor,” Scott recounted, pacing around the examination room. He’d forced her to put Madam President back in her kennel so they could talk in the back. “And that I had to do a favor for him, or else he’d hurt my mom — I can’t let him—”

“You won’t,” Nina assured. “Focus. Try to remember. Good news from the doctor — for him, or for you?”

Scott paused, eyes wide. “I don’t know, does that matter?”

“ Everything he said matters.” She was about to snap at him to stay still, but that wouldn’t help anything. “Everything he didn’t say also matters.”

“So everything matters?” He sassed.

“If he’s threatening Melissa, yes!” 

He groaned and pulled his hands through his hair, still pacing. “I know! I know. Okay. He… he didn’t specify who the ‘good news’ was for. But — he smelled really bad. Like… sour.” Scott finally stopped pacing as his brow furrowed. “Like Madam President. And some of my mom’s patients at the hospital.”

Madam President, who needed to be prescribed prednisolone and chlorambucil. “He has cancer?”

That was another saving grace of getting beaten. Gerard was too focused on ‘getting his point across’ to notice her switching out his medication for placebos. They hadn’t had time to put the mountain ash in yet — it would mess with the coloration and taste. That’s what Nina’s job was during the rave. Finding the correct ratio to keep the medication consistent. Then it would be Scott’s job to make the next switch. 

She hadn’t expected the assault and battery. With Mick’s connection to Gerard, she planned on him taking both her and Will to him, where they would stage their own distraction. The lasting bruises weren’t part of the plan. Neither was the occasional fit of coughing up blood. But it was necessary. She just had another secret to keep for the time being.

The second her phone lit up, Nina answered, pressing it between her ear and shoulder as she continued working. “Stiles? What’s wrong?”

“Why do you assume something’s wrong?”

“You’re calling me because everything’s going according to plan?”

“Is that impossible? What if I like the sound of your voice?”

Nina rolled her eyes. “Stiles.”

Thankfully, just saying his name got him back on track. “Alright, fine, something’s wrong. There isn’t enough mountain ash. All I have left is a handful, and there’s another fifty feet I have to go.”

She froze. “That’s impossible. I measured more than enough.”

“Okay, then I messed it up somehow. I’m messing everything up somehow!”

Nina closed her eyes and sighed, taking the phone and switching to her other ear as she tried to figure something out. They didn’t have any more at the clinic that wasn’t for the pills, and Nina was still grounded from her car. “Stiles, you have to do it anyway.”

“Did you not hear me? I only have—”

“A handful for fifty feet, yes, I heard you. It has to be enough.” Something had happened in between leaving for the rave and starting the border to create a new sense of insecurity. Force of will wouldn’t cut it for Stiles anymore, and neither would faith in his own abilities. “Deaton chose you for this job for a reason. He knows you’re able to do it.”

“What does he know? I’ve barely talked to the guy!”

Apparently faith in Deaton wouldn’t work, either. “Okay, then I know you’re able to do it!” She snapped back, immediately pinching the bridge of her nose. Getting annoyed wouldn’t help, even if he made it so easy. “Do you really think I would have let you handle this by yourself if I didn’t know you could do it? I didn’t trust Scott to make it to the pool in time last week, remember? But I’m trusting you right now.”

He let out an unsure sound that she couldn’t quite decipher. “Deaton said the only reason he wasn’t having you do it was because you were working.”

“What does he know? He’s barely talked to you.” Stiles scoffed on the other end. “Don’t look at how much ash is in your hand. Close your eyes so you can’t see how much farther you need to go. I’m right here with you. I trust you. Do you trust me?”

“Okay, yeah.” Nina began to hear the sound of gravel crunching under his feet. “Yeah, I trust you, you trust me, I hear gunshots, and werewolves, and it’s really freaking me out, but sure. You trust me. And now I’m out of the magic fairy dust. I’m opening my eyes, and—” He let out a loud whoop and began laughing. “Yes! We did it!”

Nina couldn’t help her own cheer that escaped. “ You did it! I told you!”

There was the sound of a thump , then a car alarm. “Shit — ignore that.” The smile was still evident in his tone as he walked away from the car he apparently set off. “Thanks.”

She grinned. “Was it the sound of my voice that did it?”

“Okay, you know what — I only said that because—”