Since all the demonic demons had been looking at Scott, he was being protected. Followed is the more correct term. By me. By Derek. By the twins. All day, until the sun went down.

Even after thinking I wouldn't do anything about him, I still worried. I didn't want him to die.

I could hear him and the Japanese girl he had been with last night.

"We're going to be okay," Scott told her. "I promise."

"We?" the girl asked. "Or me?"

"All of us."

"You didn't bring the twins here because you didn't want them to get hurt, right?"

"I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Then why did you bring me? If those things are coming after you, and anyone who gets in the way gets killed, then shouldn't I be somewhere else?"

"I'm not letting you get hurt."

"And I don't want you getting hurt. Especially because of me."

"It could be either of us."

"I don't think so," the girl said. "I have to show you something."

There was a long pause before either of them said anything.

"Have you ever heard of something called a kitsune?" the girl asked.

I had.

*

"That looks like what happened to you in the power station," Scott said.

"When a kitsune rubs its tails together, it creates fire and lightning," the girl explained. "It's called foxfire. I don't have any tails."

"How'd you know what I was thinking?"

"Because kitsune are also psychic. I can hear all of your thoughts. Just kidding. The sun's setting."

"Ah. Yeah, I know. Are you scared?"

"Not right now," the girl answered. "I'm supposed to be back before dinner."

"Tell them you can't make it."

"What should I say?"

"Say, uh, you're studying with friends."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? All of your friends are like you, and you know, foxes and wolves don't really get along."

"That's just a drawing in a children's book."

(They don't almost kiss)

Finally, Ms. McCall pulled up to the house.

Well, I had thought it was his mother, but when the person got out of the car, I realized it was a man I didn't recognize.

I didn't bother to listen in anymore.

*

This time when a vehicle approached, it really was his mother, and I didn't listen inside.

The sun finally went down, and I was really to make a move.

"Who the hell is this?" I heard the man ask.

"Dad, no!" Scott told him. "Dad, wait . . . "

Skin and cloth was ripped, and the kitsune girl screamed.

I opened the door, sliding in as I growled at the dark figures.

Derek came in behind me as the dark figure raised his sword, snarling, and I growled as I charged, and Scott shifted as he growled.

The dark figure swung a sword at me, and I jumped over it and turned around and ducked under the sword again when Scott yelled, "Mom, the ash!"

Every time the dark figure swung the sword, I'd either jump over it or duck under it, and one swung at Scott, so I grabbed his arm and spun him away, spinning him toward the other dark figure trying to kill me to push the figure down and away to keep us both safe.

We heard the twins break through a window, both growling as they stood.

Each one of us--Scott, the twins, Derek and I--tried heavily to dodge all of the swords.

The twins threw one out.

I hit one's head on the wall, and Scott grabbed his other side as we both turned and threw him out of a window.

I heard another behind me, and I turned, ducking under a sword as he swung, spinning behind him and kicking him out of the same window.

"Mom, now!" Scott yelled. "Do it now!"

Derek got the last one out of the front door, and Scott's mother tossed down and broke a bottle of Mountain ash, and as the powder spread, it did it a perfect line.

The dark figures outside the door couldn't get inside.

The girl, the kitsune, went to reach out of the door, the barrier glowing as it repelled her.

*

I stood next to Derek and Scott as Derek asked Scott, "All the baseboards are ashwood?"

"Uh, yeah," Scott answered. "It was Deaton's idea." He looked from me to Derek. "And where the hell did you two come from?"

"We've been following you," Derek answered.

"For how long?"

"All day," I said, making it sound obvious and as if it was no big deal even though it was, not looking at either of them as I walked away.

Scott looked at Derek, waiting for an explanation of that, but Derek shook his head as if to tell him I don't know what to tell you.

"Scott, this isn't good!" his mother called.

*

I was sitting on the stairs as Aiden looked at the kitsune. "It's Kira, right?" She nodded. "You gonna tell us what you are?"

"What?" Kira asked. "What do you mean?"

He grabbed her arm, and Ethan said, "Aiden . . ."

"Watch!" Aiden replied.

I sighed, starting to get up as he pressed her hand against the barrier, and it shocked her.

"See that?" Aiden asked. Ethan stood next to them. "She can't go through it either. So what are you?"

"She's a kitsune, idiot," I said as I walked closer, and she looked back to me.

"Use your eyes," Derek said from the doorframe, and we looked back at him. "You can see it all around her. The younger ones give off an aura. She just hasn't learned how to conceal it yet."

He walked in further, leaning against a counter.

"She probably doesn't know what kind she is, either," I said.

Celestial, wild, ocean, thunder, Nogitsune. The last being the darkest one there was.

*

"I wasn't gonna hurt her," Aiden told me and Derek.

"Not yet," Derek replied, neither of us looking at them.

I wasn't looking at any of them, but looking out to the dark figure.

"Why do you think we're here, Derek? For a study group. We're here to protect Scott."

"We're trying to fight for him," Ethan said.

"I'm sure you are," I said. "I'm sure you'd kill for him." I turned around finally to face then. "But are you willing to die for him?"

Neither answered, exchanging a look.

I would die for Scott. I didn't know why, or what was even going through my head when I thought of him, but what I knew was that even though I wasn't . . . ready for what he was, I also knew that I couldn't live without him completely either.

I knew it didn't make sense, not even to me.

What was happening to me?

*

The house started to rumble as the dark figures hit against the invisible barrier, Scott standing with us now in the living room as he asked, "What are they doing?"

"Testing for weaknesses," I answered.

They continued to beat against the barrier, making objects fall and break.

Finally, they found a hole in the barrier, pushing against it.

"Guys?" Ethan asked. "We have a problem."

They pushed even harder, and one's hand entered.

They were about to come in.

*

"Allison, please tell me that you have something," Scott told her on the phone. "They're here. They're trying to get in. And it looks like they're gonna be able to do it."

"Okay, okay, listen. They're Japanese demons. They're called oni. They're looking for someone who's possessed. Someone with a dark spirit inside."

"A Nogitsune," Scott said.

"How'd you know that? Scott?"

"Just . . . Just tell me what else."

"Okay, they won't hurt you. They know you're supernatural, but once they do this check, once they realize you're not carrying with you this dark spirit, then they won't hurt you, I promise. All they're looking for is the Nogitsune."

"I'm right, aren't I?" Kira asked as he hung up on Allison. "They're looking for me."

"They're looking for a dark spirit," Scott answered. "And I know it's not you."

"Scott, we're gonna have to do something," Derek said as they finally broke through the barrier.

They took the first step in, and we were ready to fight.

"Don't do anything," Scott said.

"Is he serious?" Aiden demanded.

The oni snarled as they stepped closer.

"I said don't do anything," Scott repeated. They stopped, and they looked back at Kira. He nodded reassuringly, and she sighed, taking a step forward next to me. He looked up to me standing in between him and the oni, and he told me in a whisper, "Trust me."

I looked from him to Kira, exhaling as I stepped out of the way, nodding, and they both stepped toward the oni.

The two oni stepped toward them.

They both held both of their heads, the same way they had for Isaac, Derek, me, Ethan, Lydia and Aiden.

Scott and Kira lowered to their knees, and as Aiden took a step forward, Derek put his arm in front of his chest to stop him.

The oni tilted their heads as they "checked" Kira and Scott.

Scott was let go first, and he fell to the floor.

Then they let go of Kira, and she fell too.

Scott had the backwards five behind his ear, but we couldn't see Kira's,  but obviously she wasn't the Nogitsune because the oni all disappeared.

I knelt next to Scott, and Derek knelt next to me as s Ethan and Aiden knelt next to Kira.

"You're going to be okay," Ethan said.

And they had to get Scott's father to the hospital now.

*

Scott had asked me to meet him at the hospital, though I didn't know why or why I agreed, but I was leaning against the wall as he walked toward me.

"Is your father okay?"

"Uh, yeah, he should be," Scott answered. "Yeah. Thanks for meeting me here."

"Not sure why you asked me to come, or why I even came," I admitted.

"Well . . ." Scott chuckled a nervous chuckle. "You and Derek were back for how long?"

I sighed, looking away as I pushed away from the wall. "Is that your real question, or . . . " I crossed my arms over my chest as I looked back at him. "Or is it 'Why didn't you tell me you were back?'"

Scott tilted his head. "You know which one."

I exhaled. "I didn't tell you because I didn't know what to do. So I decided to do nothing."

"You ran away from it."

"I didn't run away, Scott. The only times I run is when I'm running to face a danger, not away from it. I didn't run."

"Then what would you call it?"

I looked at him, scoffing. "I call it giving you a chance to have something else that wouldn't deal with severe trust and anger issues and a dark, twisted soul."

"You're not dark and twisted," Scott said. "And you've changed a lot from the old you. You actually trust and care about some people. And you're not as angry as you had been. But the giving me a chance to have something else part? That makes perfect sense since you're jealous of Kira even though nothing's going on between us, and you were jealous of Allison."

"I wasn't jealous of Allison then, and I'm not jealous of Kira now," I denied.

"You're not and weren't jealous?" Scott repeated dubiously, as if he knew the truth.

"No. Why would I be jealous? I have and had no reason to be." He didn't answer, and I exhaled, walking past him and toward the doors.

He turned around after me. "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here."

"There you go running again."

I stopped walking but didn't turn to face him. "You're about to be punched, Scott."

"See, whatever this is, whatever we are, it's not just changing me, Tara," Scott said, and I could hear him quietly, slowly walking toward me. "It's changing both of us."

"What makes you think I'm changing?"

"Because the old Tara I know wouldn't warn somebody before she punched them."

I looked to the side. He'd caught me. "You're right. I'd just do it."

"So go ahead," Scott said. "Hit me. If it makes you feel angry enough and strong enough to be in control again. You might not know what's happening to you, but I do. And I know you wouldn't like the answer. So go ahead. Because the old Tara wouldn't think twice about doing it. Unless you don't think you can do it."

The taunt was enough in itself, and tilted my head a little before I turned around and swung my right fist at the left side of his face,  which he caught with his right hand, and I used my left fist to hit the right side of his face before he could stop me.

He still had a hold of my right fist in his right hand as he smiled a little smile, looking back at me. "You feel better now?"

I took a second to think, sighing as I nodded. "Yeah."

"Under control?"

"Not entirely. Partly because you still have my fist."

Scott smiled wider, not letting go. "So . . . "

"So can you let go?"

"I don't know," Scott said. "Can you make me?"

I gave him an oh, really? look, raising my eyebrows slightly, and he nodded.

So I turned, pushing against the wall and he smiled wider as I pulled my fist away before he grabbed it again, using my speed and strength as he turned and pushed me against the wall instead, technically switching places, but neither of us hurt the other, his hands holding my wrists to the wall.

He still had that seductive smile, and I felt the corners of my lips pulling up in one too.

His eyes trailed to my lips, moving closer, obviously wanting to kiss me.

And I actually wanted him to.

What the hell was wrong with me? I didn't want this. I wanted to reject this.

But I wanted it at the same time.

So confusing.

In the next second, I thought I heard something, turning my head slightly in confusion because of the strange noise.

Scott stopped, looking confused. "What?"

"Listen," I told him.

It was a weird buzzing that stopped us both, like a snarling that we both knew well, and we exchanged looks as Scott let me go and we both walked to a room with closed doors as we heard a thud.

And saw Stiles facing away from us.

Scott opened the door. "Stiles? You okay?"

Stiles turned around to face us. "Yeah, fine." His gaze zeroed in on me. "Tara. When the hell did you get back?"

"Nice to see you too, Stiles," I said sarcastically as he walked closer.

"What's been going on?" Stiles asked me and Scott.

I'd let Scott tell him.

Now, I was going home.