Allison and I arrived at the reserve, skipping the last few periods of school, and found Stiles leaning against the police van that Jackson was inside.

"They know," Allison said by way of greeting.

Stiles blinked in confusion. "What?"

"They know Jackson's missing," Allison clarified.

Stiles gave us an incredulous look, gesturing to the phone in his hand. "No, they can't. I've been texting his parents since last night. They don't have a clue."

"Gerard told us Jackson's parents went to the police," I said. "They know."

Stiles frowned, thinking, and Allison and I waited in tense silence for Stiles to figure out whatever he was thinking about. We watched as Stiles' eyes went wide and looked down to the phone in his hand that belonged to Jackson, a horrified expression on his face.

He ran into the front seat of the van, scrambling with the radio machine before finally managing to turn it on, Allison and I looking over his shoulder.

"All available units proceed to Beacon Hills Reserve as instructed. Proceed with caution until Sheriff Stilinski arrives. Repeat: proceed with caution."

Allison, Stiles, and I all looked at each other, the amount of trouble we'd gotton ourselves in dawning on us.

"Shit," I cursed.

We all got into the front seat of the van, which fortunately had three seats meaning none of us had to sit in the back with Jackson. Stiles threw Jackson's phone out the rolled down window before putting his foot on the gas, driving as far away from the phone as he could.

"I can't believe you kidnapped him," I muttered from the middle. "Why can't we just kill him instead?"

Stiles huffed, keeping his eyes on the road. "Because Scott doesn't want us to."

I scowled. "Stupid Scott."

I continued my sulking in silence, arms crossed as I fantasised all the ways I'd kill Jackson. Morally, I knew it was wrong to want to kill him, not to mention hypocritical since I'd gotton mad at Isaac for wanting to do the exact same thing, except when we thought Lydia was the Kanima. I was still allowed to dream though, and that's what I did for most of the car ride until my phone got a notification.

I looked at my screen, my heart doing a stupid flutter when I saw Isaac's name there. I unlocked my phone and looked at the text.

Isaac
you don't have anything to do with the kidnapping of Jackson, do you?

Y/n
if I was involved, they would have already found the dead body

Isaac
i'll take that as a no then

Y/n
smart boy

"Who are you texting?" Stiles demanded, making me look up from my phone. We'd stopped driving, parked somewhere else in the forest. "Why are you smiling so much?"

Before I could do anything, Stiles surged forward and snatched my phone out of my hands. I scowled in protest, reaching forward to take it back, but Stiles had already seen Isaac's name lighting up the screen.

He gasped, staring at me like I'd committed treason. "Isaac Lahey? Really? Out of all the guys in the world you choose him? Where is your taste in men?"

I glowered at him and attempted to grab my phone, but he moved it out of reach. "Keep your nose out of my business Stilinski."

"But he's the enemy," Stiles exclaimed, before he narrowed his eyes and flung his arm out, pointing at me accusingly. "You're fraternizing with the enemy!"

I finally managed to get my phone back, ripping it out of his grip as my face heated and I hissed. "I'm not fraternising with the enemy. Just shut up!"

Stiles scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Sure you're not."

"I'm not!"

"Mhm."

"Seriously, I'm not."

"Yeah sure-"

Stiles was interrupted when my phone started ringing, Isaac's name lighting up the screen. We looked at each other in panic.

"Shit it's Isaac," I cursed. "What do I do?

"Don't answer!" he hissed, waving his arms around.

I shook my head. "That would make us look guilty!"

"We are guilty."

I scowled at Stiles. "Yeah, but we don't want him to know that!"

Stiles threw his hands up, exasperated. "Fine, answer it!"

I stared at my phone. "But what do I say?"

"Just answer it!"

I hit the accept button before the call could finish, bringing it up to my ear as I plastered on a smile he couldn't even see. "Isaac! Hey! What's up... bro?"

Stiles face palmed, sighing in defeat as Allison who had been silent up until now let out a snort. I glared at both of them.

"Bro?" Isaac questioned from the other line, his voice laced with confusion and a hint of amusement.

I swallowed. "Yeah, bro. We're bros, aren't we?"

Stiles slunk into his seat, covering his face with his hands as if this was too painful to watch. Allison just couldn't stop grinning, flashing me a dazzling smile as she listened to the train wreck that was this call.

"Sure we are," Isaac answered, the amusement in his voice more prominent now.

Stiles gestured for me to put it on speaker phone but I shook my head, afraid that I'd be even more humiliated but Stiles grabbed my phone and put it on speaker phone anyway. I glowered at him, but said nothing.

"You know," Isaac continued. "Bros hang out with each other. Should I come find you now or-"

"Uhh no! We're not bros actually," I said quickly, before things could get any worse. "I lied."

I could hear Isaac's smug grin from the other side of the line. "And why's that?"

Stiles raised an eyebrow, looking at me as if to say, you got yourself into this, you need to get yourself out. Allison smirked at me, waiting to see what I'd say. I was waiting too, because apparently I'd lost all ability to talk as I stared at the phone in Stiles' hand, my mind blank.

"Y/n?" Isaac prodded.

"Because bros don't kiss each other," I blurted out.

"YOU KISSED HIM?!"

I glared at Stiles, giving him a look, but he was too busy staring at me with betrayal and horror to notice.

"Why is Stiles there?" Isaac asked.

I panicked, looking from Stiles, who was too busy judging me to be of any help, to Allison, who was silently laughing, gasping for breath as she muffled her laughter.

"Uh, I don't know gotta go bye!"

I hung up the phone and immediately lunged at Stiles, ready to strangle him to death. He jerked out of the way, scrambling out of the car to escape me. I followed after him, but stopped myself from attacking him anymore.

"I can't believe you kissed Isaac," Stiles muttered.

"Shut up!"

Scott arrived just in time, preventing me from ending Stiles' life. We all listened in as Scott explained the tablet Danny had that held the video tape of Jackson turning into a Kanima, and how Jackson had stolen it while in Kanima form.

"If Jackson doesn't remember being the Kanima, he's definitely not going to remember stealing Danny's tablet," Scott finished.

Stiles frowned. "Why would he steal the thing if he doesn't even know what's on it?"

Allison spoke up. "What if someone else took it?"

"Then somebody else knows what he is," I said.

"Which could mean someone's protecting him," Stiles suggested.

Allison nodded along. "Like the Bestiary says, 'the Kanima seeks a friend,' right?"

Stiles held his hand out as if to pause to conversation. "Wait, hold on, so, somebody watches Jackson make a video of himself turning into the Kanima, and then just erases part of it so he wouldn't know? I mean, who would do that?"

"Somebody who wanted to protect him?" I offered.

Scott shook his head. "Wait, there was something else. You said the only thing you found online about the Kanima is that it goes after murderers. What if that's actually true?"

Stiles was already shaking his head at Scott's theory. "No, it can't be. It tried to kill all of us remember? I don't know about you three but I haven't murdered anyone lately."

"Does having murderous urges count?" I asked, sending Stiles a pointed look, "because if so then I definitely have."

"Obviously not otherwise majority of the world's population would be dead," Stiles quipped back.

Scott continued on, ignoring Stiles and I's banter. "But I don't think that it was actually trying to kill us. Remember-" he turned to Allison, "-when we were at Isaac's the first time, it just went right by us."

Stiles stared at me at the mention of Isaac's name and I ignored him, silently cursing him and his family in my mind.

Allison nodded. "You're right, it just ran off."

Scott turned to Stiles. "And it didn't kill you in the mechanics garage."

Stiles crossed his arms. "Well yeah but it tried to kill me and Derek in the pool."

"And it seemed like it wanted to kill me when I got them out of the pool," I added.

Scott shook his head. "What if it was trying to keep Stiles and Derek in? And it fought you because you got them out?"

Stiles made a face, looking around like he was seeing the world with new eyes. Seeing a worse world with new eyes. "Why do I feel so violated all of a sudden?"

"Because there's something else going on. We don't know what it is. We don't know anything about what's going on with Jackson or why someone's protecting him-"

"Know thy enemy," Allison said, cutting Scott off.

We all turned to look at her, and under our gazes she quickly explained. "Just something my grandfather said."

"Oh yeah," I said. "He was really weird today to me too. Asked me all these questions about what Kate told me of the supernatural and my parent's death... I think he might know I'm a witch."

Scott's eyes widened. "That's not good."

"A bit of an understatement," Stiles muttered. "But I have a solution that will fix majority of these problems. We kill Jackson."

I nodded my head in agreement. "I agree."

Scott gave us both a scolding look, like a disappointed parent. Stiles and I shared a petulant look. "He risked his life for us against Peter. You remember that?"

"No," I muttered sullenly.

"Yes, but what did we just find out?" Stiles defended. "He got the bite from Derek. It's funny, how he just got exactly what he wanted by supposedly risking his life for us, isn't it? Very funny."

I nodded along at his words, even though I wasn't there to experience what happened with Peter Hale and Jackson.

"It doesn't mean he's still not worth saving," Scott insisted.

I seethed. "He did nothing while Isaac's father beat him for God knows how long. He knew, and he said nothing, because it 'wasn't his problem'. You think that's worth defending?"

"Exactly," Stiles said. "It's always something with him."

Scott looked at Stiles and I pleadingly. "He doesn't know what he's doing-"

"So what?" Stiles snapped.

"So I didn't know either!"

A silence descended upon the group at Scott's words. None of us could deny that he had a point, so we just stayed quiet.

Scott turned to Allison. "You remember when I almost killed you and Jackson?" Allison nodded. "I had someone to stop me. He has nobody."

"And whose fault is that?" I retorted angrily. It was his fault he had no one to protect him. He spat in everyone's face. He was a selfish, narcissistic jerk and it wasn't fair that it should be our responsibility to protect him. Not after what he did to Isaac.

"It doesn't matter," Scott said quietly, but by no means weakly. "If we can save him, we should try."

Stiles and I sulked but said nothing else on the topic, knowing we couldn't convince Scott. We talked some more about what to do, how to protect Jackson from himself when he didn't believe us, before Stiles checked the time and sighed.

"I've got to go and talk to Lydia," he said. "She still hasn't forgiven me for leaving her crying in her car."

I looked up. "Oh, would you be able to drop me off at home on the way?"

Stiles nodded and I bid goodbye to Scott and Allison before following him to his jeep. We got in, the ride silent as Stiles stared ahead at the road, before he finally spoke.

"But why Isaac?"

I groaned, covering my head with my hands as I slumped in my seat.

"Come on, just give me a reason," Stiles argued, glancing at me before back at the road.

I sighed, looking at my hands as I muttered, "he's nice."

"Nice? Nice? He didn't seem all that nice when he tried to murder Lydia. Murder. As in take her life. Kill her. Make sure she never breathed again-"

"Okay I get your point," I scowled. "But he was nice before the werewolf bite. And he's still nice now, he's just following Derek's orders because he feels loyalty towards him."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Well, he didn't seem to have a problem with killing Lydia."

"Like you don't have a problem killing Jackson?" I shot back.

Stiles went silent, and the rest of the car trip went by without wither us talking. I wasn't mad at Stiles, and I didn't think he was mad at me; he just couldn't understand why I liked Isaac. I couldn't either, really. It was complicated. I knew him before he was a werewolf, and he was still the same person that he was before, but free. I'd noticed that. The confidence and self-assuredness were from having these new abilities, but beneath all that there was something vulnerable, a sense of relief that he was finally safe. He didn't have to worry about his dad anymore, and if he was still alive Isaac could have easily fought him off. So though I didn't like what he was doing as a werewolf, I could see being one was better for him, and I couldn't fault him for that.

When we arrived at my house I got my stuff and thanked Stiles for the ride. All he said in return was that instead of thanking him, I could find some better taste in men instead.

I rolled my eyes. "Goodnight Stiles."

I entered the house and went upstairs into my room, where I got my spell book and started reading it. I continued looking through the pages, memorising and practising as many spells as I could until Allison came home, the sound of the front door shutting catching my attention.

I quickly put my book away and went downstairs to Allison. She didn't look particularly happy, and I sent her a questioning look. She walked passed me and muttered under her breath, "check your messages."

I did as she said, fishing out my phone from my pocket only to have my heart sink as I checked what I was messaged.

Stiles
Jackson escaped
Be on guard

I sighed, pocketing my phone and following Allison upstairs to her room, all the while my heart stayed heavy in my chest. The Kanima was out, which meant we'd have to find him before Derek, which meant Isaac and I would have to fight against one another, again.

Allison flicked her light on and I muffled my shriek of horror as I found someone in her room. Upon closer inspection it was Lydia, though that did nothing to calm my racing heartbeat. She was just sitting there, silently, as if waiting for us. I closed my eyes briefly, telling myself everything was fine as I tried to shove down the panic threatening to surface.

I opened my eyes once the panic stayed down, wondering when I'd gotton used to that. To the panic following me everywhere, that a friend surprising me could put me into fight or flight mode, could make me suddenly fear for my life. When had I gotton used to that? When the Kanima tried to kill me at the pool? When I saved Isaac at the police station? When I found out werewolves existed?

I didn't know.

"You scared the hell out of us," Allison breathed, shaking her head slightly as if she, too, was embarrassed for her overreaction. For the way she feared for her life as well.

Lydia said nothing, her eyes scanning the both of us from where she sat on the edge of Allison's bed. "I've been sitting here waiting for you two for over an hour."

I frowned. "I was here the whole time."

Lydia shot me an irritated look. "Well how was I supposed to know that? I assumed you were out with Isaac."

I rolled my eyes but said nothing, letting the brunette next to me speak.

"We can't hang out right now Lydia-" Allison started.

"I don't need someone to hangout with," Lydia said incredulously. We looked at her curiously and she continued on, more quietly this time. "I need someone to talk to."

Guilt churned in my stomach- a very horrible feeling- as I stared at Lydia. I relented, about to ask what was wrong when Allison spoke first.

"I understand that it's important, but can it just wait?" she asked distractedly, already turned around and looking for something on her desk.

Lydia's nostrils flared in anger as she stood upright. "Why is everyone always telling me to wait? Why can't anyone have 'right now' available?"

Allison sighed, shaking her head. "You can't have everything right now. You know what I need? I need someone to translate five pages of archaic Latin. Obviously that's not going to happen any time soon."

"I know archaic Latin," Lydia stated, her arms crossed.

I gaped at her. "You know archaic Latin?"

Lydia shrugged, checking her nails. "I got bored with classic Latin."

I stared at her, bewildered. "Just how smart are you?"

Lydia rolled her eyes, but I could see her hiding a satisfied smirk as she held out her hand. "Just show me the pages."

Allison started rummaging through her bag until she found her laptop, casting Lydia a hesitant glance before opening it up. After a few clicks and some typing, Allison moved out of the laptop's way, gesturing for Lydia to take a look.

She did so, with Allison and I hovering over her shoulder, waiting to see what she would translate for us. Lydia read the line out loud, and Allison and I immediately looked at one another. Had we heard it wrong? We must have, because otherwise that would mean...

"Are you sure?" I pressed worriedly.

Allison added, "Ms Morrel said that word means friend. 'The Kanima seeks a friend.'"

Lydia shrugged carelessly. "She was wrong. It means master."

"The Kanima seeks a master," I repeated. "Huh."

Lydia was already moving away from her laptop, going to her bag as she started looking around inside it. "Why? Is that important?"

"Yeah," Allison breathed, looking at me. "Someone's not protecting him-"

"-They're controlling him."