𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"So, Kate's a werewolf now?" Kira questions curiously.

"I don't know. You know, there's a saying..." Scott answers "Sometimes, the shape you take reflects the person you are"

"What kind of shape is sociopathic bitch?" Lydia mutters.

"I have a feeling I don't wanna know" I reply.

The Jeep abruptly jolts to the side and I'm grabbed by Malia before I can hit the seat in front of me. Stiles slams on the breaks and we all scramble out of the car to check the damage.

"What happened?" Braeden demands, storming up to us from where her bike is.

"I don't know- it felt like we hit something" Stiles tells her.

"Scott, we need to get there by night. It's too dangerous, otherwise" Braeden stresses to my brother.

"Go" Stiles says to him.

"Not without you" Scott argues.

"Dude, someone needs to find Derek. We'll figure something out. We always do" Stiles argues back.

"Just go, Scotty. We've got things covered here" I assure him.

"Okay" Scott sighs, following Braeden to her motorcycle.

"Scott!" Kira chases after him while the rest of us turn back to the Jeep.

"Told you we'd get stranded in the desert" I mutter out with a glare pointed at Stiles.

"You should listen to her more" Malia backs me up.

"You two better shut up before I leave you both here" Stiles snaps at us in annoyance.

"Leave in what? This junker isn't gonna be taking you anywhere any time soon" I retort and the boy's eye twitches as he refrains from hitting me with something.

"Stiles?" Malia speaks again, causing us to look at her "I don't think we hit something. I think something hit us"

Malia pulls something from under the hood and holds it up to reveal a large sharp looking claw. Stiles reaches out and takes it from her hold as we all look at it in worry.

"Oh, we are so fucked" I declare.

Stiles pulls his tools out of the back and pops open the hood, assessing the damage and trying his best to start fixing the engine.

"Maybe we should just walk" Lydia suggests and Stiles looks up at her in disbelief.

"Hey, I will never abandon this Jeep! You understand me? Ever" Stiles object to the idea "Ever. Ever"

"Right, we get it" I huff out in irritation.

"Work faster, Stiles...There's something out here with us" Malia states and my stomach turns in anxiety.

I share a look of fear with Stiles and he immediately gets straight back to work.

❦     ❦     ❦

"Lydia, could you please hold the light still for a second? It's really hard to see anything if you keep shaking it like that" Stiles tells the strawberry blonde.

"I'm shaking it this way because we're in the middle of nowhere with your broken down Jeep, and we're being attacked by yet another razor-clawed monster, and I'm terrified!" Lydia says to him in an appalled tone.

"Well, just be slightly less terrified" Stiles retorts and lifts a large car part to me "And you hold this"

"What's that?" Lydia questions in worry.

"I don't know. I'm hoping it's not important" Stiles answers nonchalantly.

"Oh, God" Lydia mumbles out.

"You are utterly useless, dork" I groan.

"Hey, it's not like you're helping" Stiles quips.

"You won't let me help" I fire back in annoyance.

"Because you have anger issues and no patience. You'll break it" Stiles insults me and I gasp in disbelief.

"I do not have anger issues" I growl out, punching the boy in the arm and he yelps.

"I don't say this often, but I think he's got a point" Lydia speaks up and I shoot her a glare.

"Did you see that?" I hear Kira say and I turn my head to look at the duo keeping watch.

Malia suddenly lets out a loud roar and darts off, chasing a moving figure.

"Malia, wait!" Kira chases her.

"Malia!" I scream, running after both girls.

"Hey, Natalia!" Stiles yells after me but I stay on Kira's heels.

Kira and I reach a dark and deserted pathway, my eyes glowing a bright pink as she wields her katana. My friend's breathing is heavy and my heart rate picks up as I hear twigs snapping nearby.

"Malia?" Kira calls out.

"Mal, come on" I mutter.

The sound of running towards us causes both of us to spin around and Kira makes a move to strike with her blade but is stopped by the sight of Malia.

"It's me!" Malia shrieks, holding up her hands "Ugh, it's me. It's me"

"You fucking idiot" I scold her like she's a child, slapping her upside the head and she whines "Don't you ever run off like that again"

"What happened? What's out there?" Kira questions the werecoyote.

"I don't know, but it's big and fast" Malia tells us, showing us a large gash on her side "And it cuts deep"

"We need to get out of here right now" I demand, grabbing the injured girl in worry.

The sound of the Jeep starting up from afar causes us all to perk up and we race back to where we left Lydia with Stiles. The three of us reach the car and I climb into the passenger seat while Kira and Malia slip into the back beside Lydia.

Stiles slams on the gas and I let out a relieved breath, but Stiles spins to look at me with wild panic in his big brown eyes.

"You- You, please don't do that ever again!" Stiles blurts out.

"What are you talking about?" I frown in confusion.

"I thought you just took off. I thought you were running" Stiles elaborates but I'm still confused.

"Well, that's because I was running" I state like it's obvious.

"I thought you were leaving" He admits, looking frazzled and my confused expression melts.

"Stiles, I would never leave you behind" I sigh lowly and the panic fades from his eyes.

"Really?" He questions in surprise.

"Really, dork" I assure him.

"That doesn't look good" I hear Lydia speaking and I turn my head to see Malia's gash still bleeding.

"It's okay" Malia brushes it off.

"Are you sure? It looks deep" Kira grimaces.

"I can feel it healing" Malia tells the girls.

"You didn't see anything?" Lydia asks.

"Barely...It had a strong scent, though" Malia informs us.

"Like what?" Stiles questions.

"Like death" Malia answers grimly and I frown deeply.