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CHAPTER THREE
WOLF MOON
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MIA HATED SITTING IN THE backseat of the Jeep. If she and Stiles were meant to share it, then why in the world did Scott McCall get a claim on the front seat?

"Why are we going back to the woods?" Mia asked with a small whine as she looked between the two boys in the front seats. "Also Scooter, I call shotgun later."

"He can't fit in the backseat," Stiles turned to face Mia after parking the car. "You can. So you're in the back seat."

Mia rolled her eyes as her twin hopped out of the Jeep, followed by Scott, who reached back in to help her out of the car. The boy smiled at her as she hopped onto his back rather than onto the floor.

"Really?" Scott adjusted his hands so they were under her thighs and able to support her weight. "Can you at least close the door?"

Mia reached out and pushed the powder blue door closed before resting her chin on the McCall boy's shoulder. He carried her into the preserve as Stiles walked ahead of them, babbling on about how good Scott had been at practice that day.

Scott hopped into the stream with Mia on his back, a smile on his face when he heard Stiles hop in behind him.

"I don't know what it was." Scott began as he stepped out of the water and let Mia off his back. "It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball."

Mia pushed her way ahead of the duo, who were closer to the river than she was. She pulled her hair into a ponytail as she turned to face them, and was happy Scott had carried her over the stream because she would be miserable if her converse got wet.

"And that's not the only weird thing," Scott continued as they maneuvered through the trees. "I can hear stuff I shouldn't be able to hear. Smell things."

Mia stopped and turned to face the boys, a confused look on her face.

"Smell things?" She crossed her arms as the boys made their way over to her. "Like you couldn't smell before?"

Stiles lightly pushed her shoulder before grabbing her wrist and dragging her along.

"Ignore her," Stiles turned to his best friend.  "Like what?"

Mia groaned as her twin pulled on her arm, dragging her beside him.

"Like mint mojito gum in your pocket," Scott turned to Stiles before looking at Mia. "And the cinnamon gum in yours."

"I don't even have any mint mojito gum."

In perfect synchronization, the twins reached into their jackets and pulled the sticks of gum from their pockets, matching looks of surprise on their faces.

"So you're psychic," Mia shrugged her shoulders as she popped the piece of gum in her mouth. She watched as Scott walked away from the twins with his arms out as if he had proven something. "Or you have a great sense of smell."

Stiles shoved the gum back into his jacket before walking toward the younger boy with his twin by his side.

"So all this started with a bite." Stiles started, only to be cut off by his twin, who had a look of excitement on his face.

"If you're psychic, do you know if we have a pop quiz tomorrow? I really don't want to study."

"Mia?" Stiles turned to his sister, who looked at him with a hopeful smile. "Shut up."

"You shut up Mischief."

"No."

"You're a pain."

"So are you."

"Guys," Scott groaned, causing the twins to stop their argument. "What if it's like an infection, like my body's flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock or something?"

Mia pushed her brother's shoulder as he started to walk a bit faster, much to her dismay.

"You know what?" Stiles started as he fell in line with Scott. "I actually think I've heard of this. It's a specific kind of infection."

"Are you serious?" Scott asked as he stopped, allowing Mia to stand between the boys.

"Yeah," Stiles placed his hands on his hips, which allowed Mia to link her arm through his. "Yeah, I think it's called lycanthropy."

"What's that?" Scott asked, innocence prominent in his voice. "Is that bad?"

Mia turned away to hide her laugh from Scott, who obviously believed her twin's diagnosis, although he seemed confused as to what lycanthropy was.

"It's devastating," Mia attempted to keep a straight face as she turned back to the boys.

"Oh yeah, it's the worst." Stiles was somehow able to keep his poker face as Mia smiled at him. "But only once a month."

"Once a month?" Scott's eyes moved from Stiles to Mia at the mention of once a month, and the girl hit his chest with a gasp.

"Not like that once a month!"

"On the night of the full moon," Stiles explained as his sister closed her mouth, obviously done with the stupidity of teenage boys. The Stilinski twins simultaneously let out a small howl as they looked at their best friend, who shoved the older twin before walking away from them.

"Hey, you're the one who heard a wolf howling," Stiles held his hands up in surrender before wrapping an arm around his twin's shoulders.

"He's not wrong Scooter," Mia looked at her best friend, who rolled his eyes at the duo.

"There could be something seriously wrong with me."

"I know! You're a werewolf!" Stiles' voice was filled with humor as Mia moved away from him and toward Scott, who wasn't in the mood to hear the twins' remarks.

"Obviously we're kidding," Mia smiled as she pulled the taller boy's arm around her shoulder.

"But if you see me in shop class trying to melt all the silver I can find, it's cause Friday's a full moon," Stiles explained as he watched the duo stop walking.

"I won't let him hurt you," Mia held up her right hand with a smile. "Scout's honor."

Scott stopped and pulled his arm away from Mia as he looked at the ground surrounding them.

"No, I could've sworn this was it," Scott's gaze moved around the clearing as the twins just stared at him. "I saw the body, the deer came running. I dropped my inhaler."

Scott bent down and moved some of the leaves that covered the ground with his hands as Stiles started to talk.

"Maybe the killer moved the body," Stiles suggested as he looked at the shaggy-haired boy.

"If he did, I hope he left my inhaler. Those things are like eighty bucks."

"I'm sure that the killer didn't steal your inhaler Scooter," Mia smiled at her best friend before crouching down next to him and starting to move some leaves aside. "If they did, they're an ass."

As Mia and Scott continued to move the leaves on the floor, Stiles hit both of them on the shoulder as he stared at something behind the duo.

"Why the fu-," Mia's mouth was covered by Scott's hand as they stood up and faced a guy dressed in black leather. The man stared at the teens and watched as Scott removed his hand from Mia's mouth while standing up.

The trio looked at the mysterious man, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, which disturbed them. He started walking toward them, which allowed Mia to get a better look at him. He didn't look that much older than them. She guessed that he could be somewhere in his early twenties based on his features, and the fact that he had a certain attitude as he approached them.

Stiles and Scott pulled Mia behind them with one quick motion, which made the girl stumble a bit before calling them both jerks under her breath.

"What are you doing here?" The man asked as he got closer to the trio. Scott moved closer to the younger Stilinski and grabbed her hand with his before giving it a quick squeeze. "This is private property."

He stood about six feet away from the trio, who were all intimidated by his cold demeanor.

"Uh, sorry man, we didn't know," Stiles explained in a hesitant tone.

"Yeah, we were just looking for something, but," Scott stopped speaking as he let go of Mia's hand. The man gave him a look before the boy continued. "Uh, forget it."

The man pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to Scott, who surprisingly caught the item with ease. Mia's curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked over Scott's shoulder to see his inhaler in his hand. The trio watched as the man in the leather jacket turned and started walking away from them, waiting for him to be out of earshot.

"Thanks!" Mia shouted to the man, causing Stiles to push her shoulder with a concerned expression on his face. "What? I was just thanking the hot guy in the leather jacket. Is there a problem with courtesy?"

"Yeah, when it's coming from you," Stiles mumbled before realizing exactly what she said. "Hot?"

"Shut up," Mia rolled her eyes as Stiles turned to face Scott, who was examining his inhaler.

"Alright, come on," Scott mumbled as he looked between his friends. "I've got to get to work."

"Dude," Stiles hit Scott on the shoulder, stopping the boy from moving. "That was Derek Hale."

Mia's eyes widened at the name as she looked at Scott, whose face resembled that of a confused puppy.

"He's only like a few years older than us," Stiles looked where Derek Hale had been standing mere moments ago.

"Remember what?"

"His family?" Stiles asked indignantly as he looked at Scott, who still looked confused. "They all burned to death in a fire like ten years ago."

"We were like ten when it happened, Sti," Mia pushed Stiles' shoulder, a small frown on her face. "The Hale fire?"

"I wonder what he's doing back."

Stiles scoffed at Scott's words before starting to walk away from the duo.

"He's stupid Scooter," Mia gently nudged the taller boy's arm with her shoulder, snapping his gaze away from his inhaler. "Let's go get you to work mister vet."

"Not a vet yet," Scott smiled at the shorter girl, glad that she cared enough to know what he wanted to do in the future.

"Oh well, you'll be one in the future," Mia grabbed his hand before dragging him with her toward the powder blue Jeep, a small smile on her face. They continued walking through the preserve and laughed when Stiles tripped over nothing in the middle of the woods.

The trio continued walking until they reached the entrance to the preserve, where Stiles hopped into the driver's seat of the Jeep. The oldest of the trio watched as his twin refused to enter the car.

"I want shotgun." Mia tapped her foot on the floor, her arms crossed as she glared at her best friend. "The car is the Stilinski Machine, not the McCall Machine, so I should get shotgun."

Both boys rolled their eyes at the girl's words, knowing that she wasn't wrong, but she was the smallest of the trio, so she would have to suck it up and sit in the back.  Scott's eyes moved to Stiles, who was gesturing to him, thankfully out of Mia's view.

With a small chuckle and speed Mia didn't expect, Scott picked up Mia and placed her over his shoulder, causing the girl to squeal at the sudden movement. She began to hit his back with her fists as she demanded to be put down, only to be placed in the backseat of the Jeep.

"I hate you," Mia sulked in the back of the car as the two boys laughed. "Actually I hate both of you."

"Yeah sure," Stiles waved his hand dismissively as Scott switched between radio channels until coming across a song he knew Mia couldn't stop singing. He smiled while watching Mia hum the tune of the song to herself, a small smile on the brunette's face.

Once the trio arrived at the Animal Clinic, Scott hopped out of the car and waved goodbye to the twins, who smiled at him before driving away. Mia moved into the front seat, glad that she was finally free from the back row of the Jeep. With a quick sigh, she pulled out her phone to see a text from her best friend flash across the screen.

FROM: Scoots McCool

thanks for the ride

She was quick to type back a response, reminding him that he was never a hassle and that he owed her ice cream after tossing her in the backseat earlier.

FROM: Scoots McCool

we'll see about shotgun

and you'll get your ice cream, don't worry

Mia smiled at the text as Stiles drove them back to their house, singing along with the radio before drumming his fingers on the wheel to the beat of the song.

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Mia laid on her twin's bed, a bottle of nail polish on the table beside her, much to her brother's dismay. She had just finished painting her nails a navy blue, which was a nice change from the red they had been the week before. Her twin was typing away at his computer, doing some research on werewolves, lycanthropy, and the lore around the creatures in general.

She thought he was taking it a bit too seriously. Maybe Scott had just somehow improved his respiratory system within twenty-four hours of being bitten by a strange creature in the woods. There hadn't been wolves in California in decades, yet her best friend was convinced he had been bitten by one, and the call her father received that afternoon didn't put her at ease.

He had sent the samples from the half of the body they found to a forensics lab for a fiber analysis, hopeful that it would help discern something for the investigation. What the sheriff hadn't expected for the fiber analysis to come back with one distinct result.  Wolf. There was a wolf in the preserve the night of the murder. The night Scott was bitten.

To say Mia and Stiles were shocked about the results of the fiber analysis was an understatement. Mia didn't want to think that a wolf could have bitten Scott, especially because it could mean that their jokes about the McCall boy being a werewolf might be more than just a joke, they could be true.

"What if he's actually a werewolf?" Mia asked, her face scrunched up in confusion. "And do we seriously think that werewolves could be real?"

"He can hear and smell things that no one normal can," Stiles turned away from his computer to face his sister, who was looking at her nails. "And he somehow got really good at lacrosse overnight. How else would you explain it?"

"Steroids?" Mia shrugged as her brother glared at her.

"Scott wouldn't take steroids, Mia, so he's a werewolf."

"Technically, his inhaler acts as a steroid." Mia rolled her eyes at her twin.  "I'm still team psychic."

Mia's eyes snapped up when someone knocked on her brother's door, causing Stiles to jump in his seat. The brunette snickered at her brother's reaction before having a paper thrown at her head by the older boy. Stiles closed his laptop as he stood up and moved toward the door, only to find Scott McCall standing on the other side.

"Get in," Scott walked into his best friend's room, a goofy smile on his face as he listened to Stiles. "You gotta see this. I've been up all night reading websites, books, all this information."

The McCall boy looked between his best friends before moving to stand next to Stiles.

"How much Adderall have you had today?"

"A lot," Stiles responded as he looked at Scott from his seat. "Doesn't matter, just listen."

Scott turned to Mia for her response and just shook her head.

"And you say that I'm the hyperactive twin," Mia rolled her eyes at her twin, who threw another paper at her. "Throw something else at me, and I will destroy you."

"Is this about the body?" Scott asked as he moved to sit next to Mia, who sat up on the bed. "Did they find out who did it?"

"No, they're still questioning people," Mia explained while thinking of different ways to torment her twin.

"Even Derek Hale," Stiles continued as he moved away from Mia.

"The guy in the woods that we saw the other day."

"Yes Scooter, they're questioning him," Mia started wringing her hands as she looked to her twin.

"But that's not it, okay?" Stiles moved his arms in frantic motions as he spoke. "Remember the joke from the other day?"

The older Stilinski's eyes fell to the ground as he tried to think of how to tell his best friend the truth.

"Not a joke anymore."

"Please sound more vague Sti," Mia rolled her eyes before laying across the edge of the bed, her head on top of her best friend's lap.

"The wolf! The bite in the woods," Stiles explained in a frantic tone. "I started doing all this reading."

He abruptly stood up from his chair and Mia rolled her eyes at his frantic tone.

"Do you even know why a wolf howls?"

"Should I?" Scott asked as he ran his fingers through Mia's hair.

"I actually know this one!" Mia exclaimed from where she laid. "They howl to signal their location to the rest of their pack."

"So if you heard a wolf howling, that means others could have been nearby." Stiles waved his papers around in emphasis. "Maybe even a whole pack of 'em."

"A whole pack of wolves?" Scott asked as he readjusted his position, making sure that Mia was still comfortable.

"No, werewolves."

Scott gave Stiles a concerned look as Mia tried to sit up, only to fall back onto his lap. With a smile, Scott helped the brunette by placing his hand on her waist so she was secure as she sat up.

"Are you seriously wasting my time with this?" Scott questioned as he stood up. "You know I'm picking up Allison in an hour."

"I saw you on the field today Scott." Stiles placed his hands on the taller boy's shoulders as Mia stood up. "What you did wasn't just amazing, alright? It was impossible."

"Yeah, so I made a good shot," Scott shrugged and started to walk away, only to be stopped by Stiles.

"No, you made an incredible shot," Stiles grabbed the possible werewolf's backpack and placed it onto his bed. "The way you moved, your speed, your reflexes. People can't just suddenly do that overnight."

"Do you believe this?" Scott turned toward Mia, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she was unable to stand still.

"I don't know Scott until you were bitten by that thing, you couldn't even jog across the field without your inhaler. Now you're starting for the team." Mia started tapping her fingers on her thighs as she spoke, a nervous smile on her face. "Your vision and senses have gotten so much better, but Sti and I aren't stupid. You haven't used your inhaler since the incident."

"I can't think about this now," Scott raised his voice, "we'll talk tomorrow."

"Tomorrow! What? No!" Stiles' voice became more frantic as he looked between his sister and friend. "The full moon's tonight! Don't you get it?"

"What are you trying to do?" Scott demanded. "I just made first line, I got a date with a girl who I can't believe wants to go out with me, and everything in my life is somehow perfect. Why are you trying to ruin it?"

"I'm trying to help," Stiles sat down in his chair as he grabbed a stack of papers off his printer. "You're cursed, Scott. You know, and it's not just that the moon will cause you to physically change. It just so happens to be when your blood lust will be at its peak."

"Sti," Mia warned as she saw Scott's face darken.

"Blood lust?" Scott was agitated, and Mia could practically feel it.

"Yeah, your urge to kill," Stiles explained from his chair, not picking up on the signs his sister tried to send him.

"I'm already starting to feel an urge to kill, Stiles." Scott looked down at his best friend, and Mia's eyes widened, praying that he was joking.

"You gotta hear this," Stiles reached to grab a book from his desk. "The change can be caused by anger or anything that raises your pulse. All right? I haven't seen anyone raise your pulse like Allison does. You've gotta cancel this date."

"I'm gonna call her right now." Stiles got up from his chair and started to go through Scott's bag before Mia pushed him aside after seeing her twin grab Scott's phone.

"What are you doing?" Scott watched as Mia stole his phone from her brother, keeping it out of his reach. She moved closer to the side of her brother's desk while unlocking the device.

"No, give it to me!" Scott slammed Mia against the wall and brought his fist back in anger before using his hand to knock down the chair. Mia's eyes were filled with fear as she looked at her best friend.

Once the McCall boy regained control of his breathing, he saw the fear on the faces of the twins, more specifically Mia's.

"I'm sorry," he panted as he looked around the room, attempting to recompose himself. "I gotta go get ready for that party."

He was quick to grab his bag and leave the room, the twins watching his retreating figure until the front door slammed shut.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked before pulling his sister into a tight embrace. She let out a shaky breath as her eyes watered a bit, staining the front of her brother's shirt with eyeliner.

Once he was sure Mia was calm, Stiles moved to pick up his desk chair, only to find three claw marks running down the back of it. He turned the back of the chair toward Mia, who gasped at the claw marks.

"He can't go to that party," she whispered as she wiped her eyes.

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Author's Note

Hey everyone! I hope this chapter finds you well! I'm really excited that I'm doing so much writing, especially because I love writing about Mia, Stiles and Scott. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the interactions between the characters! Hopefully I'll be able to finish writing the next chapter by Friday so we can be done with episode one. Remember to comment and vote because that always helps with inspiration!

- Daniella

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PUBLISHED: April 29, 2020

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