"𝙁𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 . . . 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜. 𝙒𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮. 𝙒𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙠𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨."

"Lani?"

Meilani's eyes fluttered softly as Stiles' voice rang through her ears and interrupting her nap she'd taken after Stiles took control of the wheel again. They'd filled Roscoe's fuel tank up quickly and had gotten back onto the road to continue to wherever they needed to go to find Kira. A jolt shot through Meilani when Stiles' hand brushed her shoulder to try and shake her more awake, fully snapping her awake and into the present of what was going on around her. It was dark when her eyes finally fully opened again, bolting up straighter in her seat when she multiple cracks of lightning striking down to the earth up ahead by the mountains. Dark, grey clouds swarmed the space as the car jolted from the rumbles of the thunder up ahead, making the whole scene like it was right out of a horror film.

"What the hell do you think's happening to Kira out there?" Stiles breathed, gaze fixated on the scene before him as a sort of terror seemed to fill up the car between the alpha and the spastic teen next to her. 

Meilani absently itched at the two bands tattooed around her arm as she shook her head, blinking as she tried to figure out just what they were about to head towards. She licked her dry lips, releasing a shaky breath as she collapsed back against the seat again. "Whatever it is, it cannot be good."

Stiles pushed on the gear stick in the middle console, driving Roscoe faster along the empty highway and getting them to the dead end of rocks and sand that lead to where the lightning and thunder were. The duo hopped out of the Jeep the second it was stopped and they rounded it, standing in front of it as they both peered up at the rocky surface before them. She didn't see anything that could pinpoint where Kira could exactly be and she drooped slightly, no scent from Kira lingering anywhere which would only mean they would have to trek further along on foot.

"I don't know why I believed him," Meilani said suddenly, snapping Stiles' gaze over to her. She chewed the inside of her lip as the guilt only weighed heavier on her and she was momentarily glad that Stiles couldn't smell the emotions coming from her. He had to look at her from the side so he wouldn't be able to see the sad look that took over her eyes or the way her lips turned down into a disappointed frown thanks to the hair brushing along in front of her face.

Ever since their talk at the gas station, Meilani couldn't stop thinking about how horrible of a girlfriend she'd been to Stiles. How she hadn't even stopped for a single second to go back out to Stiles and talk to him about Donovan. She'd known Stiles since they were both two and, yet, Meilani didn't give him the benefit of the doubt as she knew Stiles would never kill anyone. At least, not intentionally and never without being provoked to do so. Much like he had that night when Stiles tried to escape from Donovan who tried to kill him himself.

"I don't know why we didn't just keep talking that night," Meilani continued quietly when Stiles didn't say anything, as he knew full well Meilani wasn't done with her thought just yet. "Five more minutes and we could have figured it out. That there two different sides to the story and that . . . that you didn't do anything wrong. We would have filled in a lot of blanks then and there if I had just been a good girlfriend and let you explain yourself properly. We should have just kept talking, Stiles."

Stiles exhaled heavily, shaking his head as he turned his gaze back to the area before them that loomed eerily. "He knew we wouldn't."

Meilani laughed humorlessly and slapped a hand to her side, turning to face Stiles finally and she could hear his heart stop momentarily at the sight of her broken expression. "But we always keep talking, Stiles! You and me. There has never been a single problem that you and I didn't talk through. We - I . . . I didn't want it to happen like this. I knew sooner or later one of us was going to get a little too much blood on our hands. That this whole situation with Theo was just a big cluster fuck and we were in over our heads. I half thought it was gonna be Malia, you know, with her mom and all."

"Well, she definitely seems like she's working on it," Stiles commented, referring to when Meilani showed up at Malia's house and was shooed away like it was nothing. She acted so secretive that day that it still shook Meilani to her core over how she had truly let her whole pack slip through her fingers like it was nothing.

"I just . . . I always thought that if it were to happen, then it should be me," Meilani admitted quietly, fiddling absently with the hem of her t-shirt. She frowned further when Stiles only deflated more at her confession, the sadness pooling in his own hazel eyes as he stared at her. "I'm the one that's constantly putting all of you guys in danger, risking your lives for people you don't even know. All because I have some stupid hero complex and have the need to just save everyone, even though I physically cannot do it. It should have just been me, Stiles."

Stiles stepped closer to her and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, sending another jolt and flutter through her as she gasped quietly at the soft touch. A touch she hadn't had from Stiles since their fight and their . . . break up? Meilani still wasn't necessarily sure where her and Stiles stood at the moment as neither one of them really mentioned it out loud. "Come on, Lani. If you want to make things right and find Kira, then . . . we only have another few hours until sunrise. We'll figure it out like we always do, okay?"

Meilani exhaled heavily with a small nod, feeling cold suddenly when Stiles' hand dropped from her shoulder. She went to turn and follow him back towards the Jeep when she heard the sound of sword clanging behind her. Spinning back around, Meilani slowly walked back towards where her and Stiles had just been stood, tilting her head. She gasped when she saw a shimmer of light flash at her like a really bright flashlight and called for Stiles before he could climb into the Jeep. "Stiles, do you see that? It's Kira."

The duo had decided to sit up on the hood of Roscoe until the flashes from the sword ceased. It had gone all throughout the night and the two sat with a small space between them that felt incredibly weird to them both. There had never been any space between Meilani and Stiles as they were always Meilani and Stiles, even before they got together as a couple. This was the first time in all of the fifteen years they'd been friends that a small breeze was able to blow past the gap between them. A feeling that only added to the weight on Meilani's chest, even as Stiles dozed in and out of sleep as they both waited.

It wasn't until Meilani saw the light from the swords clashing stop and the way she heard Kira's voice escalate in fear and panic that Meilani clambered off the hood, slapping Stiles' side frantically in a way to get him to move. She could hear Kira's voice along with her mothers fighting with three deep and booming voices about Kira needing to stay behind on the sandy, rocky space as the fox still controlled Kira inside and she had no control of her actions. Thankfully, Roscoe was able to be pushed a bit more since Stiles fixed her up and Stiles plowed through the sandy bumps and in between all the rock formations that littered about.

Meilani shoved her side door open when they got close by, Kira's mother shouting at the three women dressed in tribal wear before her about needing to go through her to get Kira to stay at all. She rolled out of the Jeep and onto one knee as she growled darkly at the three women, fully transformed and crouched protectively before Kira who gripped a wooden staff with an arrow at the end tightly in her grasp.

"Get in!" Stiles shouted to Kira who laughed in shock at the sight of Meilani, lowering her staff slightly  as she looked to her best friend. "Hurry!"

Kira didn't need to be told twice as she turned swiftly on her heels, pushing her boot covered feet into the sand below her as she barreled towards the opened door. She scrambled into the Jeep just as Meilani approached next, helping the Yukimura girl into the back and clambering in behind her. Both girls dropped into the backseat with a huff while Mrs. Yukimura chopped the flying staff, cutting it in half and rushing at the Jeep next. Her door was barely closed before Stiles peeled off back the way they came and left the three tribal women in the dust.

"Everyone okay?" Stiles shouted, eyes frantically checking along the three women around him to make sure no one had gotten hurt in their dash to the Jeep.

Meilani squeaked in shock when Kira cried and threw her hands around Meilani, hugging the alpha tightly. Her face was buried into Meilani's neck and, thanks to her own enhanced strength, she was able to choke Meilani the tiniest bit. Meilani coughed weakly and hugged Kira back just as tight and sniffled quietly, happy tears appearing in her eyes as she had been able to save her friend. 

"You came back for me!"

"I told you I would, Ki," Meilani reminded softly, holding the girl tighter to her as if needing to be reminded that Kira was truly before her. That she was able to save her and bring her back where she belonged. 

Meilani was dropped off at her house the following evening after the Yukimuras had been dropped at their house, safe and sound. She lingered by Stiles' window for a moment as Stiles made her promise him that she'd go inside and sleep, even if it was for a little bit. The obvious worry still lingered in his eyes for her and it made her smile softly to herself, though it never showed on her face. She was stunned momentarily when Stiles had leant forward and wrapped an arm around her neck, hugging her against the door for a moment before he released her. Part of her wanted to kiss his cheek goodnight like she always did, but something held her back. A small tension still lingered above their heads and, since Meilani still wasn't really sure where they stood, she decided against it as she offered him a small wave before she had entered her house.

The lights in the living room had been switched on when Meilani was jerked awake for the second time. Isaac was crouched next to her, hand on her shoulder as he shook her gently awake with Scott stood behind him. They were both dressed in their pajamas, clearly both having been getting ready to go to bed themselves before having to wake up the poor alpha that never got sleep. She rubbed her eyes lightly, pushing herself to sit up on the couch where she had crashed, still in her leather jacket and jeans, though it looked like Scott or Isaac had removed her boots as they rested neatly against the side of the couch. 

It took her sleep fogged brain a moment to register the other two scents in the room and her eyes snapped up to see Liam and Mason both stood on the other side of the couch, both shifting awkwardly on their feet as they waited for their alpha to properly wake up so they could speak to her.

"Li? Mase? What's up?" Meilani asked, voice still laced heavily with sleep as she swung her legs around to sit up on the couch properly.

Mason took a deep breath and rocked back on his heels, teeth latched onto his lower lip. "I found out something from Corey. We know what Theo's doing."

Liam nodded along with Mason and licked his lips, scratching the back of his neck as a sigh flew past his lips heavily. "Yeah, he's looking for an alpha. A blind alpha."

Meilani felt as if ice water had just been chucked over her as she froze in her space, Isaac flinching at the thought that flickered through her head. The two wolf mates exchanged a wary look, neither one being too happy with Theo's choice of alpha hunting. Meilani thought she had seen and heard the last of this alpha last year after her junior year was practically ruined by both a Darach and a vengeful, trickster spirit. 

"Deucalion."

— you can all thank ellis for this update, but also . . . you're welcome, ellis, because that stiles & mei bit was just for you. we are slowly getting back to meilani and stiles hours && i am READY for my parents to be okay again. we are officially off episode three now and we will be back to our episode per chapter aesthetic again. decided to break this one up for . . . reasons. 

ALSO IF YOU DIDN'T SEE, I ADDED A PLAYLIST YESTERDAY AND I AM LIVING FOR THE THREE PLAYLISTS. MORE WILL BE ADDED AS TIME GOES ON SO SAVE IT TO YOUR SPOTIFYS (SPOTIFIES???) SO YOU CAN SEE ANYTHING NEW THAT GETS ADDED!