HOW DID I GET HERE?

How had my life reached this point? A place where I was familiar with the ghost who held the scythe, yet so unfamiliar with how harshly he could shatter your life in a matter of seconds. My whole entire being was breaking—shattering like a piece of fragile glass and I was free falling with no idea of when or where I would land. Before this, I liked to believe that in the face of tragedy I would be okay. I was naive when I'd thought that—I didn't even know where it had come from, really.

I'd never even experienced true tragedy. I couldn't remember what it was like to be subjected to such pain you felt as if your whole life was caving in on itself.

My body was numb. My heart wasn't even whole anymore, in fact I wasn't entirely sure where it was. The pain was so extreme yet it was unlike any pain I'd ever felt before. It was like someone had put their hand into my chest cavity, dug around viciously, latched on to my heart and tore it out before dropping it on the floor and stamping on it.

It was unbearable and I didn't think I could withstand it. I never thought I'd have to experience it.

How did I get here?

FIVE HOURS EARLIER

Chris Argent had been Derek's plan. He helped us to get the twins to safety and out of the preserve. We'd managed to get them up to Derek's loft—still alive and still breathing—when Isaac called me. I didn't hear much but the words 'we've found Lydia' stuck in my head. I all but abandoned them in the loft, Derek's keys still in my hand when I made a run for it—his and Chris' shouts unrecognised in my head. They tried to tell me to stop but I didn't. The need to get to Lydia was too great. I had to know she was okay and so I drove to Oak Creek as fast as Derek's car would take me.

The night sky had claimed us as victims again—thrusting us into a state of unnerve while the Oni ruled, searching high and low for the Nogitsune. The pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw, a harsh contract against the darkness I'd grown to hate over the weeks of constant anguish.

When I slammed the door of the car shut my body forced me to pause. It was delivering me with a warning and for the first time, it was forcing me to listen to it. There was something greatly chilling about this place. I didn't have to know of its history to feel what had gone on here all those years ago. The decades old emotions that had been left in the wake of the tragedy was enough. They were strong and that was enough to understand that the people here had felt great pain. This place was a bad omen, a beacon of death and sorrow.

The warning continued when I heard the spine-tingling sound of the Oni in the distance. My heart pounded in my chest ferociously... adrenaline coursed through my body and whispered to me to pick a response.

Was this the end? The final battle we'd been anticipating all this time?

My feet carried me through the threshold of the high built iron gates of the camp—my response had been chosen. There's no turning back, my subconscious whispered to me.

While fear gripped me with an iron fist, it didn't rule me. I couldn't let it destroy me. I was strong enough to hold on to what little grit I had left. I dug deep and I found the fire raging inside. I listened to it and I allowed it to fuel me. I dragged everything the Nogitsune had ever done to me, everything he made me feel... every word he'd ever spoke and I used all of that pain to create strength within my self.

If the Nogitsune was here I'd kill him or I would die trying. I owed it to myself and Stiles to try. After everything he'd put us through he deserved it. I would give it my all, I wouldn't back down... not this time.

The sound of swords clashing echoed through my ears when I turned the corner into the dark courtyard. The Nogitsune was no where to be seen but Kira, Allison and Isaac were fighting valiantly against the Oni...why, I wasn't sure.

Isaac was on his own, three of the hooded figures against him and winning as they slashed his stomach with their weapons. I moved to help him—rescue him, sacrifice myself for him... at this point I wasn't sure, but Allison had beat me to it when she shot an arrow through the chest of the armed figure with such skill and precision. It halted the fight and myself as I skidded to a startling stop as the creature dropped its sword to the floor.

It stumbled back before a luminous yellow light protruded through the cracks of its outer shell. The earth underneath me shook as the creature fell to pieces in front of our very eyes... a small relief fuelled victory overwhelming us all. It was the first time we'd ever been able to destroy one of these things and that was promising.

Or it was until it went so downhill...

I didn't see the Oni that appeared in front of Allison, I just heard the sword being unsheathed before it was thrust through her abdomen.

Time stopped along with my heart as they pulled the weapon out of her stomach before they disappeared into the shadows where they came from. Scott appeared and he latched his arms around her as she began to fall while I stumbled forward blindly.

A hand reached out to me, gripping it tightly and forcing my body to a stop. I fell to my knees with a great thud but the pain didn't register among the grief that ripped through my body.

A tear rolled down my cheek, the cool wind blowing against the wet track mark while I fell into Isaac's side. His arm wove around my back and held me in place while I fisted his shirt, watching Scott hold on to Allison for dear life in front of me—listening to the words they spoke to one another.

I heard her declaration of love for him, how she'd always loved him and she always would. I heard my friends sobs, the way he clung to her in such a desperate way as she smiled at him.

It hurt. It tore me apart from the deepest part of my soul and continued ripping painfully until it reached my skin. It tugged on every memory I'd ever shared with her, brought forth how deeply our friendship had been routed within me. It forced me to remember the day I'd passed my driving test and we'd gone out on a joyride in my dad's car. The times she would hold me when I'd had a nightmare about the fire when I slept at her house. The night she wiped my tears away when a boy on the basketball team had touched me in the most inappropriate way at a party after she'd kicked him in the balls and shooed him away.

Our friendship was unconditional—even if she had been misled by Kate and her grandfather at certain points. She was always someone I could trust with my whole heart. She knew a lot about me—more than what anyone else ever did. She had been my soul sister. It didn't matter if we hadn't been as prominent in one another's lives recently. She was still there and I would always know that. I could go to her for anything...

I could've gone to her...

When her hand fell from Scott's and hit against the stone floor I felt as if someone had punched me in the gut. I couldn't breathe for the way I cried. It claimed every part of me, robbed me of the oxygen I so desperately needed. My sobs were ugly and they were loud, only partially muffled by Isaac's chest as he clung to me tightly.

   "Alex?"

I shook my head, clutching my hands while I rocked back and forth gently. My blurry gaze was focused on the white tiled floor and they remained there. My eyes were burning, my chest was aching but the rest of me was numb. It was like my brain had shut down. I had gone into shock.

The tears just rolled continuously down my cheeks as my legs shook under my arms. I could barely feel the comforting hand on my back provided to me by the Sheriff.

It was all numb.

"What happened, Alex?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, the picture of Allison being stabbed by the Oni playing over and over again on repeat. I could hear her gasping for breath, fighting to stay alive.

Parrish sighed as he sat on the edge of the desk opposite me. I inhaled sharply, digging my hands into my hair before a sob tore through my body.

She's gone... dead.

I'll never see her again.

It swam on repeat like a broken record.

Dead.

"C'mon. Let's get you out of here." The Sheriff.

I felt someone pulling me up to a standing position, an arm wrapped around my back while the other held my arm. I was guided forward but I didn't tell my feet to move. They worked on autopilot, my trembling knees fighting to stay locked so I didn't fall. Each step felt like a jump. My mind was swirling, vision hazy no matter how many times I forced myself to blink. I couldn't see.

Dark spots invaded my vision and took me prisoner. With every passing second my body felt as if it was losing control of itself. It had began to succumb to the darkness, leaving me with no choice but to follow. Within seconds the extent of my exhaustion settled in. This was all that was needed, something to push me past the breaking point for my body to respond—for it's natural response to kickstart again after six days of being awake.

I felt weak...sick... tired.

Scott's body morphed into an array of shapes and colours in front of me as he rose to his feet. I reached out blindly to him and I tried to speak but a series of inaudible grunts echoed instead. Like everything else had, words failed me. I felt myself slipping ever so slowly. The scale tipped more and more, edging it's way until finally, I fell.

My knees folded in underneath me as my eyes closed. What followed was unknown. The everlasting darkness consumed me again with an unwelcome embrace and I had no energy to fight it.

I just hoped that whenever I woke up, this would all have been one big nightmare...

_____________________

Dim lighting surrounded me when I awoke. My heavy eyes peeled open, irises burning and begging for me to close my eyes again. A thick fog clouded my mind and made everything hazy. I'd experienced this feeling of disorientation once or twice before. It was weird, like your mind was trying to coax your body to not wake up. It only repeated how much I needed to relax but when I felt the hard surface underneath me I had a hard time in doing so.

Again, I peeled my eyes open and this time they stayed open when I spotted the familiar ceiling of the animal clinic. A soft groan forced its way passed my lips and as my body started to fall back into sync with my mind, I pushed myself into a sitting position on the table.

I stared at my legs while feeling a presence loom beside me but for a moment I just needed to process what had gone on.

I was in the Sheriff's station. Parish had been questioning me, the Sheriff was walking me out and then.. nothing.

"Exhaustion is a funny thing." Deaton's voice crawled into my mind then. It infiltrated the space and left me wincing. I'd only just realised now how bad my head was hurting, "After four or so days the mind starts to hallucinate until what you call the lowdown starts to kick in. That's where your body forces you to sleep, even if you've struggled to do so for so long. You think there's a breaking point but in reality you have miles to go before your body will eventually take control."

"I passed out?" I said. My voice was hoarse, low and full of exhaustion still.

"Trauma and sleep deprivation doesn't bode well for a person." Deaton's response was, "You needed to rest. The emotional stress gave your body just enough to be able to trigger the sleeping process."

I looked up to meet his gaze then and I arched my brow though my facial muscles didn't move. I felt incapable of showing any form of emotion. I felt dead inside, "My body shut down from exhaustion?" I re-phrased and when he nodded I continued, "How long was I out?"

"Two hours."

I scoffed humourlessly and shook my head, dipping my chin to my chest for a moment, "Wow." I mumbled, "Must explain why I'm bursting with energy."

Deaton pressed his lips together. A response never formed as the bell above the door out the front chimed to signal of someone's entrance. It perked our interest but no sooner did Derek appear in the doorway with a look of urgency on his face.

"There you are." He said to me, "Come on, we have to go."

I furrowed my brows deeply, "Go where?"

"The school."

Deaton nodded beside me, "They have a plan. I'm afraid it's a now or never situation."

I looked at Deaton as his words replayed in my mind. It sounded like what I wanted it to but I wasn't ready for it. I was struggling to compartmentalise my emotions knowing everything wasn't just one horrible hallucination. It had all been real, Allison had died and everyone was doing a great job of shoving that notion into a box and forgetting about it just now but I couldn't. It felt wrong.

"She would want you to do this, Alex." Deaton said to me sympathetically, his hand placed delicately on my shoulder. I expected he knew me well enough by now to be able to read into some of my thoughts. Still, whether or not she'd want me to I wasn't sure I could.

I hated it had come down to this. But, if Deaton was right then this would be the end and I couldn't miss the look on the Nogitsune's face when we finally outsmarted him after everything he'd put us through.

Silently, I slipped off the table and looked at Derek to give him a firm nod. This was no time for grieving—not yet, not when we still had work to do. We were so close now.

My cousin slipped his hand over my back sympathetically and he guided me out towards the front of the animal clinic. Before we had the chance to leave however, Deaton called back to Derek and he looked at him with a hard expression, "Do you have the triskele box?"

Derek nodded his head in response.

The air suddenly shifted around us as Deaton looked at my cousin and I. There had always been a lot left unsaid when it came down to the three of us. Deaton had once been Talia Hale's closest confidant—he was her advisor and for a short period of time someone we thought to be the Alpha. It was almost comical how far off we had been with that... Deaton had openly told me once that he deemed it unfair that he knew my mother better than what I ever would.

He knew so much about us because it had been his job to protect us for years but even now he was still looking out for us. The Hale pack might've no longer existed but the McCall pack did and it was strong. Deaton had—unknowingly—slipped into his old habits and had become our emissary and where would we be without him?

"Don't get killed." Were his final words to us.

I nodded once as Derek glanced to me, "We'll try."

The two of us exited the clinic then though I was surprised to see two identical motorcycles parked next to Derek's four-by-four. I slowed my strides somewhat as I looked at the twins already sitting on their bikes. When I'd left them earlier on in the night they looked incredibly worse for wear. I wondered how Derek had managed to save and heal them. A part of me hadn't expected to see them standing here, however. They'd been more than willing to help with the Nogitsune but for some reason, when it came down to it, I never pictured them in the final battle with us.

"What are you two doing here?" I asked them in surprise, my eyes wide to match my tone.

"We're here to fight." Aiden said to me.

Ethan nodded and said, "For our leaders cause."

For Scott's cause... for our cause. They weren't here for their own selfish reasons. The were here to fight for the pack, for Stiles. Somehow, that meant more to me than anything they said ever would.

A thick lump caught in my throat and I tried to swallow it down while nodding.

They followed us on their bikes while Derek drove us to the school. He brought me up to speed with the plan while he drove. Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Kira were ahead of us—ready to try and change the body of the Nogitsune in order to destroy it. We were there predominantly as back up incase the Oni tried to step in our way following a change of allegiance that had occurred in Oak Creek earlier on tonight where the Nogitsune had snapped the final tail.

The hope was that when Scott bit the Nogitsune we would be able to kill him and revert him back to his original form of a fire-fly, only then would we be able to lock him in the triskelion box that had been crafted using wood from the Nematon itself.

It seemed relatively simple but every plan we had ever come up with never went simply.

When Derek pulled to a stop outside the school I didn't make a move to get out the car. Even when the engine had been switched off and Derek and the twins were standing waiting for me I couldn't bring myself to get out. I needed a moment. I just needed to breathe...

I closed my eyes and brought my hands up to my face. We'd lost too much already to lose anything else. This had to work. There was no second chance after this. It was like Deaton had said, it was now or never. We either destroyed the Nogitsune or it destroyed us. I had to take that pressure off of my shoulders. I couldn't let it weigh heavy.

Don't think about it...

It'll all be okay...

It has to be okay...

"Please." I mumbled so quietly I wasn't sure it even passed my lips. I was repeating it over and over like a mantra and I hoped that someone was listening... anyone.

When I opened my eyes it was with razor sharp focus and I reached for the door handle, climbing out and closing the door behind me with a deep exhale. I nodded my head to no one in particular and rolled my shoulders out, "Okay." I said to my three companions... my pack mates. I was the Beta here and I couldn't forget that. I hadn't acted like one as of late and that needed to change.

"We can do this."

Aiden nodded firmly, irises brimming with the same determination that was currently coursing through my veins at in impeccable rate.

"I don't know what's gonna happen." I admitted, "I don't plan on dying but... you guys mean so much to me."

Ethan and Derek nodded while Aiden remained silent and as we made the move to locate the Nogitsune, I was stopped by a hand locking around my wrist. I already knew who it belonged to without even having to turn around but I did anyway, hearing Ethan and Derek continue forwards.

"Don't talk about dying." Aiden said to me while he shook his head, "It scares me—especially after last time."

I wetted my lips with my tongue before I nodded, flashbacks of the night Jennifer poisoned me worked their way into my brain. Aiden and I had never talked about that night—about the unspoken declaration he had made. He thought I was blissfully unaware but I wasn't and I never had been.

"What you did for me that night—"

"You've already thanked me." He reminded me, "A million times."

"And I meant every single one of them." I responded, "Seriously, Aiden. If it weren't for you both..."

He nodded his head, "I know." Was his response before he shrugged, "But I realised a life without you in it is a pretty shit life. I tried to live it after you left...it was miserable."

His words... they made my heart clench but in a good way. Aiden was a master of hiding the true meaning of his words within his declarations. He didn't always have a way with words. Sometimes he could be a smooth talker but when it came to expressing his true feelings you often had to dig deep and continue searching long and hard... and that was only if he let you in.

If he was too afraid to admit it, I would, "I need you in my life, too." I said to him, "Because, honestly, now you're back I don't know what I'd do without you—or Ethan, poor boy. We always forget about him."

Aiden grinned in amusement, "He didn't call himself a third wheel for nothing."

A smile of remembrance crawled to my lips and I nodded softly. There had never been anything romantic about Aiden and I's relationship when we lived in San Francisco—not openly anyways—yet Ethan always called himself the third wheel and he made it a point to remind us of that fact every day. It was a shame we never had the chance to show him the true meaning of being a third wheel.

He'd of hated it...

Aiden slid his hand to the crevice of my forearm and he held it gently. I reciprocated his movements, bending my arm to hold his and I held his arresting gaze, too. I didn't shy away from the intensity.

"Do not turn me into a flight risk, Aiden." I tried to warn him but I didn't expect my voice to give up on me. My words came out as whispers, voice cracking harshly as a lump formed in my throat. I swallowed it down while shaking me head, "I get that you want to be the good guy, that you want to help us and you're choosing the right path and all. I'm glad that you're fighting with us and not for us but I need you." I said, "Being the hero only works if you survive."

He nodded and by the way his eyes glistened I knew he heard every word of what I'd said, "I won't." He said to me..promised me before he went on to say, "I might never be able to say that you're mine, Alex, and I've accepted that. I'll take sitting back and settle for being your best friend. At least I can say that I've tried.. and hey, maybe if you had never of moved here you and I might've been something. We might've worked, we might not have. Maybe we weren't meant to be together and you moving here saved us from ruining our relationship? We'll never know, but I like to think that in an alternate universe we made it."

I smiled up at him though it wasn't one of joy. It was genuine and emotional. His words were bittersweet and they reminded me of just how much I truly loved him. It had crept up on me when I was least expecting it to and it was nothing at all like what I had experienced when I had been falling in love with Stiles. It made me feel things—things I'd never be able to explain.

I loved Ethan in a platonic way but Aiden and I's relationship was far to complex to love him platonically.

I wasn't as shocked as what I thought I would be. I never thought you could love two people at the same time yet here I stood.

I pulled Aiden towards me, wrapping my arms around his upper back while I rested my head against his chest. The way we embraced was even different to how Stiles and I did. It was all different.

He fixed his arms around my waist and and held me so tightly he was almost smothering me but it was oddly calming. The way he rested his head atop of mine and exhaled deeply in a soothing manner eased my anxious nerves. I held to him tightly, expressing what my words could not and for a second I forgot that we were about to take on an ancient Japanese spirit. I forgot that one of my closest friends had just died...that Stiles was dying—because even if no one dared to tell me I still knew.

I forgot about it all and savoured this moment.

I'd forgotten what it was like to hug Aiden. We'd never done it often but when we did it meant something.

He was the one to pull away and when he did he held my upper arms gently, eyes scanning my face. With reluctance, I moved out of his space and I met his gaze before nodding once.

I'd never be able to say the words because I would never be ready for what we were about to try and accomplish.

Without another word the two of us walked under the tunnel that led to the steps up to the main doors of the school, catching up with Ethan and Derek on the way. None of us said a word as we walked because we didn't know what to say. Good luck? No, that was stupid. Don't die? God.

Even in the darkness I saw the two shadowy figures of the Oni flanking either side of the Nogitsune as he sat on the steps. If the armed figures hadn't angered me, seeing Him still possessing Stiles' body did.

Since we'd freed Stiles' mind and the Nogitsune had used his power to split the one body into two I'd wondered why I could look at Stiles and not feel an overwhelming hatred. The second I laid eyes on the Nogitsune my heart and soul set alight with a fiery anger I had trouble containing, yet I'd been around Stiles—my Stiles—for over twenty-four hours and not once had I felt that anger. 

I realised then that it was the eyes. There was always something chilling about them but it was the darkness of them that made his face appear so evil.

I could feel my heart beating in every inch of my body. My blood pumped a combination of anger and adrenaline through my veins and I clenched my fist by my side.

"Did you bring us a present?"

The voice sounded so foreign even though it belonged to Stiles yet it was such a condescending tone. Still, even after all of this time, the Nogitsune managed to surprise me with how much he could manipulate Stiles' body to feed his own desires.

Derek placed the Triskele box down on the floor by his feet silently before he straightened up, "I've brought three." Derek snarled from beside me, fully transitioned.

"Now, I've heard of an Alpha pack, Derek but not a pack of former Alpha's led by a questionable Beta." He quipped and I growled in response as he attempted to insult me, "It's a little sad, isn't it?"

"I might not be an Alpha anymore, but I can still fight like one." He responded, roaring.

The Oni twisted their swords and the twins roared too. I cracked my neck, transitioning properly and feeling both my claws and teeth elongate. My infra-red vision consumed my eyesight and all my senses heightened.

Together the four of us charged forward and I had my eyes set dead on the Nogitsune. This was my one shot at killing him—or at least inflicting as much pain and damage upon him as I possibly could. I had vowed to be the one kill him and I was still more than determined to do just that.

I was intercepted quickly by the Oni and he swung his sword towards me with robotic-like movements. I dodged their attacks as swiftly as I could, trying to make my own advances but they were so fast to move. With their swords swinging, I didn't dare leave myself open knowing that was exactly how they'd killed Allison only hours ago.

Aiden fought at my side and he made it somewhat easier. The Oni were no where near this strong compared to the night we'd fought them in Scott's house those weeks ago. I felt as if they'd strengthened with the Nogitsune which meant only bad things for us.

When a third Oni appeared I barely had the chance to catch it's wrist as it swung its sword towards me.

A three versus four should be easy but when they had both the ability and strength to move as fast as these did it was impossible, especially when they didn't seem to take any damage.

In my distraction, the Nogitsune had managed to slip away and I met his gaze as he stood at the top of the steps. A low, angry growl passed my lips as I ducked through the Oni to move to him but I was stopped and forced backwards by the shadowy demon again.

Aiden dropped to the ground by my side to kick one in the stomach and he continued to deliver that way, fast paced and sharp until he was back up on his feet, "Where the hell are they?"

With a grunt, my arm collided with the arm of the Oni's pushing him back before I made enough of a gap to land a swift kick to the stomach, "The hell if I know!" I yelled back.

"The Jeep's here, they have to be somewhere!" Ethan responded.

"In the school!" Derek shouted over to us.

"I didn't realise they'd enrolled in night classes." I yelled in frustration, ducking to avoid the sword swinging dangerously close to my face.

"You have to get on the box!" Derek yelled over to us, "Alex get on the box!"

I glanced over at the triskele box still placed on the ground and moved to run towards it, only to skid to a hurdling stop as two more Oni appeared out of the shadows. They stood either side of the box, protecting it and I growled quietly under my breath, snarling at them as they snarled at me.

I felt a presence beside me and Aiden snarled, "I hate ninjas."

"No heroic saves." I reminded him but I didn't wait for a response as I dived forwards, ducking under the swinging sword. I reached for the box, my fingers inches from it, just as the Oni's sword connected with my side, creating an incision.

I seethed in pain while I tried to recover, withdrawing from the box before turning and warding off the shadowy figure. It didn't matter how hard I tried to fight him, it only consisted of me deflecting it's advances. I'd barely been able to get a hit in on my own.

Derek had once told me I was fast but these were a whole new level.

At one point, my back collided with Aiden's and his grunts could he heard in my ear as he tried to fight off the Oni. Three of them had us cornered and I slipped under his arm, as he turned to the two I'd been fighting. I managed to land a hit on one, kicking it backwards just as Ethan yelled,

"We can't do this. We can't beat them!" He yelled, "Take the box we'll hold them off!"

"Alex, grab it." Aiden said to me.

"I'm trying!" I responded, briefly seeing one of the Oni explode into yellow dust as an arrow pierced its chest. I turned my head fleetingly to see Chris Argent and Isaac standing there.

"What is that?" Ethan asked him.

"Silver." Chris responded.

An opening presented itself and Aiden lunged forward, blocking the Oni from advancing as Issac joined in the fight. He barely glanced at me as he said, "Now, Alex."

I lunged forward stealthily and I reached out, grabbing the box in my hands, "I got it!"

"Get it to Scott!" Derek yelled over to me.

I barely nodded, looking at Aiden and Issac as they fought the two Oni off together. They both looked back at me fleetingly, not daring to spare as much as a glance.

"Alex, go." Isaac said to me.

I needed more reassurance than that however and I looked at Aiden.

"We'll be fine. I promise." He said to me quickly dodging the blade of the Oni as it swung towards him, "Go!"

I swallowed my feelings down, ignoring the way my head told me to give the box to Isaac and stay. I was the only one free to do this and if I didn't go now who knows what would happen.

Begrudgingly, I turned away from them both and I ran. I sprinted like my life depended on it and I took the steps two at a time until my body was slamming into the heavy blue doors leading into the school. I prayed that they were in the hallway and not somewhere hidden and that prayer was answered quickly.

"I got it." I said breathlessly, "I got the box."

I slowed to a stop by Stiles, holding the box for him to see and noticed that he was leaving heavily on Lydia for support. He'd paled considerably since I'd seen him last a few hours ago—before we'd been to Oak Creek. The stench of death was more prominent now than what it had been ever before and it was painfully obvious... yet they'd lied to me about it.

"Stiles..." I mumbled as I walked close towards him. I shook my head and wrapped my arm around his back immediately. Lydia took the triskele box from my hands as she stepped back from his aid, "No... you're supposed to be okay."

He tried to shoot me a reassuring glance but it didn't meet his eyes as he shook his head and said, "I'm—"

He was interrupted by the sound of something—or rather someone—hitting the lockers with a loud thud and I turned my head to see Scott lying in a heap on the ground. Within the next second, the Nogitsune flashed before my eyes as he hit Kira out of the way—she too falling to the floor. Lydia pressed her back into the locker and remained as quiet as she could, hoping that he would ignore her and he did for now, instead focused solely on Stiles and I.

"This was my game." He said to us, "Think you can beat me at my game?"

His eyes were so haunting, beyond anything I'd ever seen him display. He'd looked evil on so many occasions, cold, even psychotic. This, though, the way he was looking at us now was murderous. It was pent up rage and fury and it made him dangerous. So much so, my breath hitched in my throat as fear gripped me with an iron fist. I felt myself still in Stiles' hold but there wasn't anything I could do.

"Divine move? Divine move." He scoffed as he began to stalk forward at such a pace. I struggled to move backwards, almost stumbling with Stiles as we backed away, desperate to get out of his way, "You think you have any moves at all? You can kill the Oni, but me? Me? I'm a thousand years old." He snapped before he shouted, "You can't kill me!"

"But we can change you!" I said quickly, my tone rushed as we came to a stop, the Nogitsune a few feet in front of us. It seemed, for the minute I'd stunned him and if that stopped him from advancing on us I was happy.

And just then, I swore I saw his facade crack.

His tone lowered significantly to a mere whisper and he said, "What?"

"You forgot about the scroll." Stiles said to him.

I nodded and arched my brow feeling overly smug. It seemed, for the first time we'd managed to outsmart the fox, "The Shugendo scroll."

He froze for a minute, his eye twitching and it gave away everything he had been hiding, "Change the host..."

"You can't be a fox and a wolf." Stiles responded.

Just then, Scott dug his claws deep into his shoulder and he bit deeply into his arm, sinking his teeth in. The Nogitsune yelled out though I wasn't sure it was in pain. It sounded more rage fuelled than anything else as he looked at Scott after he pulled away.

The Nogistune stumbled away somewhat and as I saw Kira emerge from the shadows, I lunged forward and grabbed the sword from out of her hands in a quick movement. She didn't even have the chance to react as I grasped the cold handle in my fingers and grabbed the Nogitsune by the shoulder, digging my claws in and demanding his attention.

I wanted him to look at me when I killed him.

The second his eyes met mine I thrusted the sword forwards and felt the resistance as I pushed it through his body—ignoring the sound it made as it pierced the skin. In the distance thunder cracked as the lights began to flicker but I continued to hold his gaze and when I was sure he'd registered I'd stabbed him, I twisted the blade slowly in his stomach... exactly like he had done to me.

It brought me a sick sense of satisfaction to watch him gasp for air and I pushed on the sword once more, "I told you it would be me." I said to him, "And you laughed at me... look where we are now." Were my words as I re-adjusted my grip on the sword, "I hope wherever you go, you rot painfully and slowly." I said to him, pulling the sword out of his body and stepping back.

I didn't realise my body was shaking until I watched him fall to his knees. I glanced to Kira's sword as it sat in my hand and I felt my bottom lip begin to tremble as the reality of what I'd just done began to settle in. The horrific thought that I'd grabbed her sword without even a second thought and rived it into his body disgusted me ... only because a large part of me enjoyed the satisfaction it had brought me. How had I become so twisted to enjoy ultimately stabbing a spirt possessing my boyfriends body. The thought that this was Stiles' body had been absent in my mind but now it was all I could think about.

The Nogitsune coughed up a fly. It was so small you could've missed it if you weren't looking hard enough but I knew it was the spirit. The panic I felt when I realised I didn't have the box was unreal but it was eased quickly as Lydia came to our aid, catching it before slamming the lid shut and locking it securely with a deep sigh.

I glanced back to the Nogitsune as he took a laboured breath before suddenly he stopped moving all together. His face began to crack, the sound of a porcelain doll breaking echoing around us until he fell forward towards the floor and disintegrated into dust.

"Oh, god." I mumbled as we stood there in sheer silence.

I didn't know what to do with myself, where to put myself but what I did feel was relief... an overwhelming relief.

Until...

"Alex..."

If Isaac's tone hadn't been frightening enough, his face pulled upon my heartstrings. I could see it clearly—even if he did try to hide it and my stomach flipped with dread. The guilt and sorrow etched deeply into the crevices of his face and the ways his eyes softened made me swallow harshly. It routed me to the spot with dread. What...why...who?

It was the same way he'd met my gaze after I'd collapsed into him following Allison's death.

I shook my head fractionally as the Katana in my hand slipped from my fingers, clattering to the floor with a loud echo.

"No." I whispered to myself in denial. I moved forwards, shifting to a run as I passed through Scott and Kira, my shoulders butting into theirs. The air around us had shifted instantaneously following Isaac's arrival. The joy and relief we'd felt knowing we'd trapped the Nogitsune had been destroyed now. Instead, it had been replaced with dread and sorrow.

Issac's hand touched my shoulder blade momentarily as I walked passed him and I pushed on the handle bars to get out. Immediately, my heart stilled in my chest. I could see from the doors that over by the tunnels people were gathered around someone. It was too dark to see from here, however, and I ran down the steps taking them two at a time before I sprinted over towards the bodies huddled on the floor.

My quick steps echoed through the night, feet hitting the wet pavement and as I slowed to a stop, my breathing ceased. It caught in my throat and it remained there as I stood above them all, looking down on the scene... on the person they were huddled around.

My world crashed—there was no other way to explain it.

"No." I said once, my voice no more than a whisper as I shook my head. Suddenly, my body became numb and I fell to my knees, "No. No, no, no. Aiden, no—"

A fresh set of tears rose to the surface and broke through. A sob wracked through my body as I reached out tentatively, my hands shaking wildly, and took one of Aiden's hands in mine.

He was crying. They both were—he and Ethan—and black blood pooled at his lips and trickled down his chin. When I took his hand he looked over at me and he forced a smile on to his face even through all his pain, "A-Alex."

I shook my head and reached out to run my hand over his hair while looking at him, "No heroic moves." I reminded him, "You promised me."

"J-just couldn't h-help myself." He struggled to respond, "I wanted t-to be the g-good guy."

I squeezed his hand tighter as a fast stream of tears ran down my face. I nodded my head at him while words failed me and until I could find my voice again.

"You are a good guy." I reassured him, "You are."

A hopeful expression lit up his eyes as he looked at me, "I am?"

I nodded again as I sobbed. I could see the haze filtering through his irises. He began to lose focus, struggling to hold my gaze but he tried so hard, even managing to squeeze my hand lightly. His time was running out and I wasn't ready for it to.

"Alex.." He exhaled deeply.

"Shh." I soothed him as Ethan held him up for support, "It's okay. It's okay."

He shook his head, "Y-you need to k-know. I-I want to t-tell you..."

"It's okay." I nodded. I squeezed my eyes shut before dipping my head momentarily and I took a deep exhale before looking back to him and smiling. I didn't want his last memory—the last thing he saw before he died—to be me crying hysterically over him. He deserved to see some kind of happiness, a smile to comfort him and even though I was utterly torn apart inside knowing what he was trying to say—what he wanted to say—brought a smile to my face anyways.

"I know." I said to him.

"You do?" He asked me.

"I do." I nodded, "And I do, too.... I really do."

As the colour continued to drain from his face, the life continuing to pour out of him, he gave me the faintest smile, "Yeah?"

I sobbed—truly sobbed. I couldn't hold it back no matter how hard I tried and it tore through my body like a tornado. My shoulders wracked and my chest burned. My lungs felt like they'd been set on fire but I knew the pain I was feeling was nothing compared to Aiden's.

I squeezed my eyes shut and held his hand to my chest—to my heart. I nodded again, my face burning hot as the tears ran down my cheeks and fell off my chin.

"Y-yeah." I managed to force out, my voice cracking under the pressure the tears were putting on it. I met his gaze and cupped his face, running my hand over his cheekbone while I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder from behind.

From the way their large fingers curled over my shoulder I knew it was Derek...

I leaned closer to Aiden as his breaths hollowed out. He was barely inhaling and the staggered sounds caused me a great deal of pain. Just knowing he was in pain made me feel pain.

I pressed a simple kiss to his forehead, closing my eyes as I did so and I rested my forehead against his afterwards before I said the words,

"I love you, too."

He nodded and I was thankful to see the way happiness gripped the edges of his irises. I would remember it forever, the purity of it... it was oh, so, simple yet so beautiful at the same time.

With my hand still on his cheek, I leaned in again and pressed my lips against his once. The familiarity hit me like a train. I'd forgotten what his lips felt like—full and firm yet he could be so gentle with them. They were cool now—as opposed to how warm they'd been when we first kissed. It was just another reminder...

When I pulled away and looked at him I feared he'd never open his eyes again. That I'd never get to look into his gaze again and feel protected. I hadn't savoured the last time, or the time before, or the one before that. I hadn't savoured any of it because I never thought life would be this cruel to me... to him... to us...

He squeezed my hand once more and opened his eyes though it seemed like it took a great deal of his strength. While the joy and love remained, it was clouded by pain and his face contorted as a tear rolled down his cheeks.

"I-it hurts."

"I know." I soothed, shifting my energy into taking his pain, "It's okay." It did hurt, he was right but I didn't want his last moments to be filled with unmeasurable amounts of pain. I took it all and I forced myself to keep my eyes open through it while I did.

I met Ethan's gaze fleetingly to see him crying silently while he gripped on to his brother for his life. Aiden was all he'd had for his entire life. They had no one until they'd found me and I left them. It had always been just the two of them since birth—brothers and best friends rolled into one, even if they did hate each other sometimes. It was what made their bond stronger.

This was hurting him just as much as it was hurting Aiden—if not more. Ethan had the emotional pain to bare too, just like me. It was knowing he would never see his brother ever again, never be able to talk to him about his day or rely on him for the worst advice ever... because, let's face it, Aiden was the worst when it came to giving advice.

I noticed that Ethan was taking his brothers pain, too and I nodded at him once. In between us, Aiden's laboured breaths slowed to a calm rate. I looked to see his eyes flickering between Ethan and I though now exhaustion clouded almost all of his emotion. I could still faintly see the love hiding deep but I really had to focus to find it.

"It's okay." I repeated in a soothing tone, "We've got you." I said to him, "You can go. We'll be okay, I promise."

He barely nodded as his eyes closed. He inhaled deeply as I felt the pain starting to lessen and in the next second he exhaled in a controlled manner. My eyes flickered to his chest, waiting for him to take his next breath but he didn't. The pain disappeared and his fingers slackened in mine.

My breath hitched my throat when I could no longer hear his heart beating. I placed my hand over his chest and I choked on a sob when I no longer felt the steady beat ricochet off his chest wall.

I dropped my head against his chest, my hand fisting his jacket and I sobbed. I cried loudly as the world around me disappeared. The ground fell out from underneath me, the abyss taking me prisoner once more as death and his friend watched over us.

I couldn't hear much over the ringing in my ears but even the sound of my loud sobs and the cries of his name—the pleas for him to come back—echoed in my ears. I couldn't form any words, all I could do was lean over Aiden's body and cry. I didn't even stop to come up for air and so, it didn't take long before I began to hyperventilate.

When breathing became a chore, a pair of hands pulled me up into a sitting position by my shoulders and I was swaddled into a chest—Derek's chest. He wrapped his arms around me as I collapsed into him, sitting on his legs while he tried to sooth me but his words didn't even make it over the sound of my wails. He spoke directly into my ear, trying to coax me into breathing, telling me to calm down, reassuring me that he was there but none of it mattered... none of it worked.

The pain that pulsated in my chest was just too much. It was everything I'd ever experienced and more. It was the large hole forming, the piece of me that had been built because of him becoming nothing but a void. It was change—and not one for the good. It was everything the Nogitsune had spent weeks breaking down that I had tried so, so, desperately hard to hold on to shattering into a million little pieces.

My heart would never be the same again.. I would never be the same again. I would forget about how I used to feel before this happened...but I would never be able to forget about this night and the two people I lost. I would never be able to drown that pain out no matter how hard I tried.

Allison and Aiden had died, and with them they took a part of me that I would never be able to get back...

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A/N; two very loved character deaths in one chapter... this is heavy but it has my heart. Alex and Aiden really were a comfort relationship for me, I adored them even if they never did get their chance. They really did love each other—Alex so much so that she didn't even realise. She loved him while they were still living in San Francisco together and that's something in itself.

This is not the last chapter. There will be one more after this and then season four will commence.