A/N: You know you guys are super-duper fast at comments right? Well, I hope you have some stuff left to say because this chapter is jam packed! I hope you love it and make sure to let me know what you think! Love you all!

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The moon seemed to rise before they had even realised it. As they headed outside it was already mostly dark and Stiles was starting to feel a little apprehensive. It didn’t help that he had to trust Scott with his jeep because he was going with Jackson in the Porsche. He thought it was a stupid idea to bring that car to the forest but he didn’t bother explaining that.

They all gave each other silent parting glances before getting into their cars and heading their separate ways. Erica and Jackson were bickering over the radio station which Stiles thought was completely insane but he shut himself up in the back seat.

Apparently the rules of shotgun don’t apply to werewolves.

Lydia was questioning Derek thoroughly about his relationship with Stiles, much to Isaac’s amusement. She was just trying to hide the fact that she was practically terrified. Derek and Isaac both smelt it on her and did their best to just try and calm her down… which meant that Derek ended up answering some questions that he really would rather not have.

Boyd was feeling a little like the man in the middle between the awkwardness of Scott and Allison. He thought he was the awkward one but he was seeing things with a whole new light.

“Uh… you know, if the two of you need to talk about anything I can seriously get out and run.” He said when they were a few miles away.

“We’re okay, thanks Boyd.” Allison smiled at him and exhaled heavily.

“Hey, it’s okay, we can do this. We can all do this.” Scott said.

“You don’t always have to be the protector you know.” She said softly.

He looked over at her for a second. “I know.”

Boyd was starting to wish he had been paired with anyone else, even Erica.

Jackson parked the Porsche at the edge of the forest and all three of them jumped out, Stiles carrying a crossbow in one hand.

“Bet you think you look like a real badass holding that thing don’t you?” Erica sneered.

Stiles huffed a bit and Jackson gave a little chuckle. “Okay, here’s the thing. I know the two of you are all sarcasm and looking pretty but you know what? This is pretty fucking serious right here so maybe you can pull your overstuffed heads out of your perfectly bleached assholes and start focussing on this!” He said.

Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and Jackson looked over at Erica who tilted her head at Stiles.

“You think we’re not focussed? Really? Stiles, we’re making jokes and fooling around because we’re just as scared as you are, and don’t try to say that you’re not because you stank out the whole car on the way over here.” She said.

“It’s true dude, you stink.”

“You’re not so flash yourself.” Erica said.

Stiles smiled a little, they have the same coping techniques, make jokes and shrug it off. Maybe this wouldn’t be so disastrous.

“So can we go through this again?” Jackson asked impatiently.

“Erica pulls up behind, you’re in front and I’m stuck in the middle with this.” Stiles held up the crossbow and the others flinched away.

“Be careful with that thing!” Erica hissed.

“Oh come on I’m not an idiot.” Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Both of you just come on.” Jackson said as they headed into the trees.

“I honestly don’t even know why I’m here.” Lydia said nervously as they started trekking through the dirt and the leaves.

She stood with Derek and Isaac on either side, her eyes darting every which way.

“Lydia, you need to be here because this potion might not even work and she won't go after you, it’s not her nature.” Derek said.

“Somehow that is of no comfort to me.” She said quietly.

“Would it make you feel better if I sad you were here to look good?” Isaac said with a grin.

She turned to face him sharply. “It most certainly would not.”

“You’re the smartest one here Lydia. If something goes wrong I’m sure you’ll have an answer.” Derek said, never taking his eyes off the outline of the trees.

Lydia smiled a little smugly. “That does make me feel better.”

“Can we try to lower our voices now? We’ll never find this thing if we’re out here screaming and shouting.” Derek grumbled.

“I’m starting to see why Stiles calls you a sour wolf.” Isaac said.

“He does? You know what, I can definitely see that.” Lydia said, looking over at Derek.

Somehow he thought that he might have been less annoyed with these two by his side but he was beginning to find out that his pack was full of annoying teenagers. He rolled his eyes and kept going without a word.

“So uh, what did you tell your dad?” Scott asked Allison as they walked in a triangle formation through the forest.

“I told him we were going camping. Stiles told me that’s what he had said to his dad so I thought I would keep it the same story. Why, what did you tell your mom?” She asked, never looking at him.

“That it was a full moon and we would probably be out in the woods all night.”

“How well did that go down?”

“Better than you would expect but she wasn’t overly impressed.”

“Hey guys?” Boyd said and they looked over to him. “Are we doing any real tracking or just having a chat?”

“Relax Boyd, I’m sure you guys will hear it or smell it if it gets anywhere near us.” Allison said. “So… what did you say about being out here?”

He shrugged. “Nothing, it doesn’t really matter.”

“Why not?” Scott asked, stepping over a fallen log.

“If you ever have the pleasure of meeting my dad, you’ll know.” He said and neither of them decided to press him any further.

“Did you hear that?” Scott said, extending his arm out over Allison’s chest to stop her from moving.

“What?” Boyd hissed.

They all remained silent and even Allison heard the cracking of twigs on the forest floor.

“Okay I definitely heard that one.” She whispered.

Boyd lifted her bow with a finger and she held it firm, loading an arrow ready to fire if necessary. Scott and Boyd led the way towards the noise slowly and trying not to make any more. Allison’s gaze was strong and she was ready to let the arrow go into this thing.

Scott lifted his nose to the air for a moment before he sighed. “False alarm.”

“Are you sure?” Allison said.

“Yeah,” Boyd pointed to a deer foraging in the distance and the three of them let out a collective breath.

“Well that was terrifying.” Allison dropped her bow and swallowed hard.

“You said it.” Boyd replied.

It had been three and a half hours since the moon had risen in the sky and so far none of them had seen anything more than some regular Californian wildlife. Erica was beginning to get tired of searching.

“All I’m saying is that there has been no sign of anything out of the ordinary, or a call from Derek, so why are we still out here?” She said in a whisper.

“Because we have a job to do.” Jackson growled. “Do you really want this thing out here attacking people like it is?”

“No but clearly there is nothing here.” She murmured.

“You know you are such a sissy werewolf.” Stiles groaned.

She narrowed her eyes at him and they kept walking in a silent formation. Stiles really wondered why he was stuck with these two but he knew that Derek would never have put them together if it was going to end up being a danger.

They had started to get heavy with their feet, tired and Stiles was feeling hungry again. He checked his phone for any sign that Derek or one of the others had found the creature, but there was nothing.

This was starting to seem like a failed mission.

They were coming into a fresh patch of forest when Jackson stopped suddenly and lifted his nose to the air.

“Do you smell that?” He said to Erica who copied his actions.

“Yeah, actually I do.”

“What is it?” Stiles said, holding tightly onto the crossbow.

“I don’t know.” Jackson said.

“I’ve never smelt anything like it before.” Erica said, trying to focus her hearing.

As Jackson did the same Stiles held himself impossibly still. For a few second they were all like statues in the trees until Jackson and Erica both darted their heads to the left.

Stiles hadn’t heard anything but he looked in that direction too. Jackson motioned silently for them to head that way so they slowly stepped over rocks and fallen branches in search of the sound.

Stiles knew his heart was pounding but he had no idea that Erica and Jackson’s were doing the same. The further they walked the better it got, they seemed to relax and Stiles could even hear the sound of a trickling stream.

He walked beside Erica and they veered to the left as Jackson took the right. They made sure to stay within view of one another, never straying more than ten metres apart.

Jackson stopped in his tracks and tilted his head slightly as he breathed in that scent. As Stiles looked over at him, it happened.

She dropped silently from the trees above and crashed into Jackson, pinning his back to the ground and hissing in his face as she crouched above him.

“Hey!” Erica screeched as her face began contorting into its werewolf mask.

The creature looked up and hissed at her and Stiles could finally see it properly as she stood up, ready for a fight.

She had long black hair that framed her cat-like face and pointed ears. As she opened her mouth to let out another hiss her long protruding fangs gleamed with saliva, her pupils dilated into slits. Her bare feet and flexed fingers bore long, sharp claws capable of tearing through flesh. She had a long black tail extending from behind her and swaying menacingly from side to side. Her body was bathed in a skin tight black material and was every bit as alluring as her pheromones would have been.

The potion was working; Stiles didn’t feel a pull to her the way Isaac had. Jackson would have been the same had he not been unconscious on the ground behind her.

“I’ll distract her… you check on Jackson.” Erica whispered, exchanging a terrified glance with Stiles.

He nodded, the shaking arrow in the crossbow trained on the creature as Erica let out a bellowing roar and lunged forward. She tackled the creature to the ground and they went tumbling over backward, its feet kicking Erica out and into a tree. She clambered up and growled running for her again and the two became locked in a tousle of limbs and claws.

Stiles made his move and ran to Jackson, dropping the weapon by his side and slapping his face.

“Come on, come on, Jackson… Jackson wake up!” He screamed into his face and Jackson began to stir but it wasn’t fast enough.

Erica laid a punch into the creature’s face and it recoiled fast, hissing and spitting in her direction before turning its head to Stiles and Jackson.

“Oh shit…” Stiles said.

She lurched forward but Erica caught her and threw her back down to the ground and bared her teeth, warding her off the members of her pack. Without warning the creature’s tail whipped around and knocked Erica off her feet, dragging her back as she stood and grabbed her tightly.

Erica screamed as the creature held her throat, her claws piercing the skin and blood dripping down her neck.

“No! Erica!” Stiles stood up and ran toward them.

“Don’t Stiles…” She choked before the creature slashed at her side and sunk its fangs into the soft flesh of her neck causing her to cry out in pain and keel over.

The creature held her up as it snarled at Stiles, and Erica’s face soon became a human again and her breathing got faster. It let her fall to the ground with a thud and Stiles shook his head as it bared its fangs.

“Not tonight bitch.” He muttered before pulling the Taser from his shirt pocket and pulling the trigger.

The creature let out a shrill cry as it shuddered and fell to the ground. Its body convulsed and Stiles held the trigger until there was no more charge. It was still shuddering when he threw the shock gun he had stolen from his father to the ground and dropped to his knees.

“Erica? Erica!” He yelled, taking her head in his hands.

She was seizing and her mouth was foaming, tears streamed down her face. All he could do was hold her still until her body relaxed. He rolled her onto her back and stared down at her, eyes closed and barely breathing. He leant in and listened to her chest to hear her heart beating erratically.

“Erica I need you to wake up okay? Erica!” He pleaded. “Oh shit, oh shit…” His shaking hand covered his mouth and he looked over to see Jackson groggily twitching his hands.

Erica stirred and looked up at him. “Stiles?” She said weakly.

“We have to get you out of here, she won't be out for long.” He said, pulling her arm over his shoulder and standing them both up.

He looked over to the creature, it’s chest rising and falling, in a sleep that wouldn’t last.

“Jackson…” She mumbled.

“We’ll get Jackson, we’ll get him…. Jackson!” He yelled.

He was slowly pushing himself to his feet as he looked up, head spinning and his dizziness slowly disappearing. “What… What?” He said.

“Call Derek now, we need to get Erica away from here. That thing could wake up at any second and she can't fight back.” He said as Erica went nearly limp over his shoulder.

“Take her, I’ll chain her up and call him.” Jackson said, looking to the backpack he had left on the ground and then over to where the creature was.

To where she had been.

“Uh, Stiles?” He said, swallowing hard and looking around.

“Oh shit!” Stiles cussed. “I’ll take Erica, you get Derek.” He said again.

“And just what will you do if it finds you?” Jackson hissed, looking around frantically now.

“I’ll find the stream and we’ll go through there, get rid of the scent.” He said, not very sure of the plan but he knew he would never be able to lead Derek back to this place and someone had to stay with Erica.

“Are you sure?” Jackson said.

“I have no hope of finding him from here and I can't leave her. I’ll get her someplace safe and come back.”

“Take this.” Jackson threw him the crossbow that he had dropped before and Stiles held it along with trying to keep Erica standing. “You’ll be fine.” He said before taking his phone from his pocket and running into woods that were less dense to make it easier for Derek to find them.

“Come on Erica, I need you to walk with me.” Stiles said, his forehead sweating profusely and legs threatening to give way as they hobbled through the trees. “I know you’re not totally conscious but I would really appreciate it if you could tell me if you smell that thing again. You know, for the sake of both our lives.” He puffed.

He followed the sound of the stream and Erica limped beside him until they found the running water. It wasn’t very deep or very fast but Stiles know that it would probably be harder than it looked. They managed a few steps before Erica’s foot slipped and she dragged him down, the both of them being swept a few metres downstream before Stiles could grab the bank.

“Stiles… Stiles don’t let go.” Erica whimpered as her limp body threatened to flow down the creek and away to where she couldn’t protect herself.

“Okay, I’ve got you.” Stiles said as he tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her over to the other side of the stream.

He panted as he looked around and spotted a rock overhang with a gap under it that could shelter her until they could get her out. His weak human strength just couldn’t hold her up for much longer.

Suddenly over the trickling water and rustling leaves he heard a bellowing roar, a distinctly werewolf roar.

“Jackson…” Erica mumbled.

“What? That was Jackson?” Stiles said, starting to panic.

“Calling… calling the… pack.” She whispered, trailing off as her eyes started to shut.

“No, no Erica not yet! Okay not yet, we have to get you up here.” He dragged her back up onto the bank and towards the sanctuary of the overhang.

As they got to flat land her body began to seize again and he held her on her side and tried to hold her head still. She gagged and coughed and cried until the painful, body shaking seizure was done and Stiles dragged her under the rock hanging and into almost total darkness.

“Stiles…” She breathed in barely a whisper.

“I need you to stay here Erica, I need you to wait until I can come back and get you.” He said softly, pushing her hair out of her pleading eyes.

“Don’t… don’t leave…” She choked, spluttering with her words.

“Erica I have to… here, my phone has GPS… I’m going to give this to you so that we can track you down again when it’s safe.” He said, taking his phone out of his pocket and praying that the GPS will still work after being dunked in the river.

She squeezed his hand gently, probably with all the strength she could muster. “Thank you…” She said through her terrified tears.

He felt her head loll to the side and knew that she had finally passed out.

He sighed, his body aching as he slid himself out from under her. “I promise I’ll be back.” He said before climbing out of the hiding place and running back down to the stream.

He stared back upstream to where they had come from and knew that if that thing was anywhere it would be there. He knew what Derek would say. Derek would have said ‘stay with Erica and we’ll find you when we’re done’. He would have very strongly insisted that he sit this one out and for good reasons.

Stiles shook his head. “Sorry Derek, not tonight.” He said to himself as he waded into the water and carefully began to walk back upstream, masking his scent in the creek.

Derek was growing tired of searching. He figured that the creature was either not out in the forest for the full moon or it had seen them and was clever enough to avoid their trails. He could see that Lydia was well past her prime focus time and she was just as scared as she had been when they began.

Isaac was as alert as ever, his nose seeking out every unfamiliar smell to try and find her. He felt like it was up to him to find it seeing as he is the only one to have actually dealt with it before, whether he remembers it clearly or not.

Without warning they stopped in their tracks as a bone-chilling howl tore through the quiet air. Derek’s stomach dropped when he realised whose howl it was, it was Jackson’s and he knew it.

“What the hell was that?” Lydia said, her eyes terrified.

Isaac looked over at him as he ground his teeth and tried to think of a plan that didn’t involve him tearing the trees from their roots to get to them.

“Derek?” He said.

“It’s Jackson.” He said flatly.

“Jackson? Wait, is something wrong with him? Is he okay?” She said frantically, suddenly becoming afraid for more than just her own life.

“He’s making the call.” Isaac said. “They found her?” He asked.

“Isaac, get Lydia to the car, now.”

“But Jackson-”

“You can't help him and I’m not going to watch you get hurt because you insist on coming along. Get her back to the cars and call Deaton, have him on alert.” Derek said.

“I’m coming with you.” Isaac said forcefully.

“You’ll get her back to the car before you do anything.” Derek growled, eyes red and blazing. “Go, now.” He said in an inhuman growl.

Isaac nodded reluctantly and took Lydia’s hand as they ran back the way they had come. Derek immediately ran through the trees in the direction of Jackson’s call. Stiles was dominating his thoughts and he was regretting ever letting him come along on this mission. He regretted bringing all of the humans along but none more than him. He should never have put them in danger. He knew it wasn’t safe but he agreed anyway. It was a bad call.

He ran as fast as his legs would let him and locked himself to Jackson’s scent as he drew close. He could smell Stiles and Erica’s faint scents from having walked through and then he smelt something else and his insides twisted up even more. They had found it, or it had found them… and he could smell blood.

His eyes trained on Jackson and he came to a stop in front of him. “Where are they? Where did it go?!” He demanded.

“Erica was injured, Stiles took her through the stream back there to hide their scent. She was hurt badly and he needed to get her somewhere safe. It was knocked out but it disappeared.” He panted.

“We can't even track them?!” He growled.

“Hey, it’s everyone or no one and right now you don’t want that thing to find them or they might not make it through the night alive!” Jackson yelled.

“Take me to the stream.” He said and Jackson nodded, the both of them not waiting for the others to find them as they raced to find the creature and their friends.

Stiles kept his eyes alert as he walked back towards the spot in the trees where it happened and where Derek and Jackson and the rest of the pack would no doubt be gathering now, or soon. Hopefully now.

The bottoms of his legs were soaking and the cold air was giving him chills, his clothes still wet from falling just before with Erica. He hoped to god, any god, that she would be okay and that they could find her again, she didn’t look good when he left and she wasn’t healing properly either. Even he knew that was a bad sign.

He waded further upstream and only just heard the rustling in the trees ahead. His heart hammered in his hollowed chest and he made the choice to call out.

“Jackson?” He said shakily.

There was no response and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that it wasn’t Bambi up in the trees. He stepped out of the river and onto the bank where he could see her, standing her ground and staring him down menacingly.

“What do you want, huh? Back for more?” He yelled, hoping that she couldn’t smell fear.

It was then that he realised that he had lost the crossbow when he was grappling with Erica. It would have been a long way downstream by now. He gulped, the sweat again beginning to form on his forehead.

She walked towards him and he stood firm in his spot, knowing that running would be of no use to him. His eyebrows were narrowed as she strutted forward and stood before him, he wasn’t going to let her get him easily.

When she was less than three feet from him he swung his fist in a punch that clobbered the side of her face and she drew back. She hadn’t expected it but when he swung again her hand grabbed his left wrist and held it tightly, her claws brushing against the soft skin on the underside of his arm.

She held him still and as he looked up at her face he could see that she was almost studying him, like she didn’t understand. And then he realised it.

“You don’t know why it’s not working do you?” He snickered.

She tilted her head to the side and eyed him carefully, her hand still wrapped firmly around his wrist. Stiles felt his heart beat start to rise as he remembered the spare arrows he had shoved in his pockets. With his right hand he ever so slowly checked if they were still there by pressing his palm against his leg. He felt his breathing quicken as he felt the long metal rods through the fabric and he knew he would have to distract her to get one out.

“I guess you’re not the only one who knows about the supernatural.” He said, slipping his fingers into his pocket without breaking this terrifying eye contact. “I know what you are, so why don’t you show me who you are?” Slowly he inched an arrow out and gripped tightly to the end. “Are you a coward?” He pulled his lips into a cold smile causing the creature to hiss. “Huh? Are you some kind of fraidy-cat?!”

As he growled the last words he plunged the arrow into her side and she wailed in agony. She bared her fangs and her eyes burned with hatred as she clamped down on his wrist and he yelped as he felt the bones break, her claws very nearly breaking the skin.

He bit down on his lip to stop himself from yelling out in pain. She wrenched the arrow from her stomach and he knew that he was over powered. He showed no weakness in his eyes as he prepared for her claws to slash at him like she had done with Erica.

In an instant, Stiles felt a heavy shudder and realised that it was Derek driving himself into her and propelling her away from him roughly. Her claws tried to latch on and he yelled as they dug into his sensitive flesh. Derek forced her hard into the ground and slashed her chest with a loud roar and she shrieked in pain.

Stiles watched as her tail crept up and wrapped around Derek’s neck, tugging him to the ground and off of her. He coughed and sputtered as he stood but she was fast disappearing into the trees. Derek let out an almighty howl worthy of any alpha but she was gone, mist in the wind.

He huffed and turned to Stiles, roughly taking his arm at the elbow.

“Are you alright?” He said, looking down at his hand and then trying to search the rest of his body for more wounds.

“Yeah,” he panted. “I’m okay, I think my wrist is broken… yep, no, it’s definitely broken.” He winced painfully as he tried to move it.

Blood was trickling down his hands from the gashes on his forearms and any movements of his wrist caused a sharp pain to throb and ache.

Derek kissed him, and hard. He had been so worried that something had happened when he had seen the two in a squabble from the distance but his heart beat was slowly returning to normal.

“She’s gone, we followed her but even with our eyes she was impossible to see in the dark.” Scott and Isaac came running into the clearing after having chased the creature down, Boyd and Jackson weren’t far behind.

“She was headed west and back to town when we lost her.” Boyd said. “Where’s Erica?”

Derek sighed and turned to Stiles. His face darkened. “Stiles?”

Stiles was swaying from side to side, his face pale and his breathing shallow. “Derek…” He said huskily before his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed in a heap on the damp forest floor.

“Stiles!” Derek yelled, racing the few feet towards him and crashing down onto his knees, scooping Stiles up and trying to wake him. “Come on Stiles!”

Scott ran to his side and looked down at his slack jaw and unresponsive body and knew something was terribly, deathly wrong. “Get to Lydia, get her to call Deaton!” He yelled back to anyone who would go.

Jackson was hot on his feet, running back through the woods to the cars where they could actually get a phone signal.

“Scott he needs a doctor not a vet! He’s human!” Isaac said, staring down at him and turning almost as pale.

They all knew that Deaton could tell them more than a doctor but he was right. Stiles needed to be at the hospital – and fast.

Derek yelled again, shaking his face with his hand and panic riddling his body. “Stiles, Stiles wake up!”

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A/N: 40 comments before next chapter, seeing as you guys post so damn fast!

Don't hate too much ;p