THERE WAS SOMETHING OFF
about Stiles's behaviour—something I couldn't put my finger on no matter how hard I tried. I had only questioned him about it twice and both times he'd shrugged it off as nothing and blamed it on the upcoming PSAT's. I didn't buy it, of course, but I couldn't figure out what it was that was bothering him.

I tried to not let it bother me. The likelihood of it being something big was small. We had already agreed and promised on not keeping secrets from each other after what had happened since Heather's birthday party. Stiles wouldn't lie to me. He wouldn't jeopardise our relationship like that.

That's what I told myself over and over again.

But the final portion of the deadpool had been cracked yet he was still to print it out and attach it to his board with the first and second list. But I told myself it was nothing. He was too busy cramming for the PSAT's to do it. We all were.

Only when Saturday morning rolled around and Stiles's alarm clock went off I felt less than prepared. I'd pulled an all nighter almost, going to sleep just after four because I physically couldn't keep my eyes open any longer but it didn't feel like it had done me any good. I felt just as clueless now as I had yesterday. Stiles and I were both nervous as we got ready and made our way to the school, my nose still in a text book hoping it would help even just a fraction of a bit.

It didn't though, and with a frustrated sigh I closed the books and tossed them in the back seat of the Jeep. 

Stiles turned the engine off after he parked up and turned to me, "Hey, you're gonna be fine. Don't worry about this."

I looked at him through narrowed eyes, my hands on the door handle when I said, "Stiles, I'm going to fail. I know I am."

I climbed out the Jeep and he followed me, walking round the front to me. He took my hand and pulled me in, pressing a soft but fleeting kiss to my lips before he said, "I don't think you will. I think you've got this."

"Really?" I rose my brow skeptically.

He nodded and said, "Really."

"Urgh." I muttered as my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Stiles got to his phone before I got to mine and said, "It's the group chat. Scott, Kira and Malia are already waiting inside."

I nodded, "We better go. We'll be late."

Stiles nodded in response and together we walked into my least favourite place to be. The fact that this test was on a Saturday was killing me. I hated going to school through the week, never mind being here on a weekend. Knowing I'd have this test today and only one day off tomorrow before we had to go back to school on Monday made me want to cry.

Stiles and I joined our three friends in the line inside with tired, non-enthusiastic, smiles. Scott looked between Stiles and I and said, "Hey."

"Hi." I grumbled at the same time as Stiles.

"How are you feeling about the test?" Kira asked us both apprehensively, "Are you nervous or do you feel okay? Did you study—"

"I was up till four A.M. studying, Kira, and before you ask, no, I do not feel prepared." I replied.

She looked at Scott fleetingly, as if asking for his silent help in trying to respond to me but all he did was shrug in response. Sometimes I got the impression that Kira was still massively intimidated of me. No idea why. It's not like I didn't come from a long line of brooding, intimating, werewolves with outstandingly short tempers.

Oh wait...

Kira's jittery movements continued though and I did my best to ignore them. It was probably her nervous tick but it was annoying, especially when I was running on two hours of sleep. She continued to look up and down the hallway whilst chatter of our fellow classmates waiting to go inside echoed around us. Finally Kira looked back at us but when she did she frowned, "Where's Lydia?"

"She's took it her freshman year." Stiles replied nonchalantly.

It still astounded me that she managed to play the facade of being so dumb and stupid around Jackson. If anything it was a reflection on his stupidity for not noticing just how smart Lydia actually was.

"Does that mean I could have taken it some other time?" Malia asked us with wide eyes.

I was leaning against the lockers beside her when I deadpanned, "No."

Scott went for the softer approach when he said, "Malia, you studied harder for this than any of us."

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna do good." She grumbled in response.

"Well." Stiles corrected.

I looked at him with furrowed brows, as did Malia when she said, "Well, what?"

"It's do well, not good." Stiles corrected her.

"Oh, God!" She exasperated.

"Okay, okay." He said quickly.

"You're doing this, because while we're trying not to die, we still need to live." Scott resonated to Malia before adding, "If I survive high school, I'd like to go to college. A good college."

"It's only three hours." Kira said, "We can survive three hours."

I scoffed before an amused smile tugged on my lips. I pinched my temples with my thumb and middle finger briefly before looking at Kira and saying, "Who are you trying to convince? Yourself, or us?"

Beside me, Stiles was gaping. He and I both knew that there was a very limited chance he could survive three hours. His attention span did not allow it. Even if he did take an extra dose of Adderall this morning. We called it his 'emergency dose'. One he could take that worked straight away rather than the generic dose he took on a morning that lasted all day.

But even with his extra dose, he was already exceptionally jittery. I knew sitting near him in the exam would be setting myself up for failure when he somehow innocently distracted me but I couldn't not be near him for this. Not when he'd once confessed to me long ago that in tense situations like these my presence often helped him in ways his mediation couldn't.

The classroom door opened then and the line moved. I swallowed and looked to my friends while saying, "Well, looks like this is it."

The line began to go down slowly but beside me Stiles was already fidgeting with a pencil in his hand. I knew he had three more in his pocket. Silently, I took his hand and his fidgeting seemed to cease somewhat. He looked down to our adjoined hands fleetingly before looking at me. I met his gaze and offered him a small, supportive, smile without saying anything. He knew why I'd taken his hand and silent gratitude shone in his eyes.

That was why I couldn't leave him to sit alone in there.

By the time we had gotten inside the classroom it was already half full. Stiles and I were at the back of our friendship group and we held hands right up until I had to let go to press my thumb against the black ink pad and print it on to the top of my test. I turned then to Ms. Martin as Stiles stamped his thumb print behind me. Lydia's mom gave me a soft smile as she held a brown paper envelope out and said, "Cell phone in the envelope, Alex. You'll get it back after the test."

With a pressed smile of reluctance I slid my phone into the envelope knowing if any kind of supernatural or normal emergency were to happen in the next three hours no one would be able to contact us. It unnerved me deeply. Especially with the deadpool still active and it being the weekend. I just prayed Liam wasn't out jogging by himself again.

Ms. Martin gave me a ticket to collect my phone as she sealed the envelope and placed it inside the box with everyone else's. I resisted the urge to take it back and turn it on. Instead, I turned to the man standing beside the desk holding out my test paper to me. He was a middle aged guy with raven coloured hair that swept over to the right and was longer at the back. His face was clean shaven and he had a permanent frown line between his eyebrows. He was dressed in an off white shift and striped tie and when he met my gaze he gave me a smile that sent chills running down my spine.

I took my test paper from his hands hesitantly as a weird feeling washed over me. Slowly, I walked to a free desk, passing Scott on the way who frowned at me in concern and mouthed, 'what?' to me.

I merely shook my head dismissively and walked between he and Malia, taking a seat behind her. At my desk, I looked at the front page of the paper while Stiles sat down behind me and hunched forward. Discreetly, I sat back and my hand found his under his desk.

"Please do not open the test booklet until you are instructed to do so." The creepy guy addressed us and as the last student sat down he nodded and said, "This test is two hours and ten minutes. There will be two twenty-five minute critical reading sections, two twenty-five minute math sections and an essay writing portion that will last thirty minutes." Then he turned to Ms. Martin and said, "There are supposed to be two teachers monitoring this exam."

"I know. It's Coach. He's not exactly punctual." She replied before saying, "Um, let me just try him again."

She grabbed her phone and left the room, closing the door behind her leaving the room in silence. I continued to sit back in my chair, my hand still in Stiles's as he ran his thumb over the back of my hand softly. Only a few minutes had passed when she walked back into the classroom and said, "I can't find him, but Mr. Yukimura is upstairs grading papers. Do you want me to try him?"

"We have to start." The man replied, "We can ask for his assistance during the first break." Ms. Martin nodded in response as he looked down at his watch before back to the class and said, "You may now open your test booklets and begin."

With a heavy swallow I squeezed Stiles's hand once and he did the same. I sat up in my chair, taking my hand from his and placing it on my desk, opening the first page while mumbling under my breath over the noise of pages being turned, "Good luck, guys."

Each of my friends with supernatural hearing nodded, indicating that they had heard me and we all turned to our tests. I put all my focus into it, reading through the first page of questions slowly before I even answered one question. My eyes danced over the letters, taking them in for the first time before I returned to the first question and read it over again.

I put my pencil to the paper and just as I was about to mark my first answer hesitantly a loud thud sounded from behind me. Along with everyone else in the class, I turned to see a girl collapsed on the floor and my eyes widened.

"Sydney!" Ms. Martin gasped, rushing to the girl who was sat next to Stiles, "Are you all right?"

Sydney nodded, pushing herself to sit up with her hand to her head, "I'm okay. I just got kind of dizzy."

Silently I met Stiles's gaze, my brows pulling into a small frown. He merely shrugged at me before we both looked back at the girl on the floor next to him.

"Sydney, how long have you had this?"

Sydney looked at her wrist, "I don't know."

The creepy dude sitting at the desk stood up and asked, "Ms. Martin, do I need to stop the test?"

Ms. Martin looked at him, acting as composed as she could but I could sense her panic, "No, um...it's fine," she said, standing up and forcing a fake smile to her face, "everybody stay in your seats. I'll, um, be back in a minute." She said before she turned to the invigilator and whispered, "Nobody leaves the room."

She left the room, closing the door behind her but I was too busy staring at Sydney to focus back on my test. She was looking down at her wrist, the one Ms. Martin had asked her about and when she lifted her gaze her eyes caught mine and widened. I didn't look away. I didn't care she'd caught me.

I whispered ever so quietly, "Show me."

Sydney discreetly showed me the bare skin on the inside of her wrist. It looked like a simple rash, nothing more, but for Ms. Martin to react the way she did meant it had to be something more, right?

"No talking during the test."

I turned back around to the front to see the man staring at me pointedly. Caught in the act. I pursed my lips and looked back down to my paper, breaking away from his stare and I answered the first question. I fiddled with my pencil as I read over the second question, answering it with more ease than the first and when I moved on to the third I heard Ms. Martin's voice echo outside the classroom, her tone full of panic as she shouted, "Get back! No! Do not come in here! Get back outside!"

Simultaneously the whole class jumped out of their seats, rushing to the two doors leading to the hallway while ignoring the exam invigilator ordering us to sit down. Scott pulled one of the doors open and we crowded in the doorway, spilling out into the hall to catch a bunch of boys running out of the doors at the bottom of the hall in fear, Ms. Martin standing alone in the hallway.

She turned on her heel and looked back to us all standing in the hallway and said, "Back to your seats. Now... Please."

My friends and I all exchanged weary glances before we returned to our seats with hesitation, closing the door behind us. The invigilator sat down at the desk again, watching over us but I didn't pick my pencil back up, not as I heard with my supernatural hearing as Ms. Martin made a phone call and said, "I need the number of the CDC. Yes, the Center for Disease Control."

________________

The exam was abandoned.

I didn't know whether to be relieved or not. On one hand, it would give me more time to prepare for a later date. On the other hand, I just wanted to get it over and done with. That, and there was some weird, unexplainable, and contagious disease spreading round the school. The CDC arrived roughly a half hour ago in hazmat suits and converted a bunch of classrooms into isolation units, small tents with beds in to check each student for this unexplainable rash.

It was like something out of a sci-fi horror movie Stiles liked to force me to watch. Admittedly, it was mildly intimidating and worrying.

Apparently Coach had it, too, which is why he wasn't present for the exam. Ms. Martin found him passed out in his office grading a bunch of Econ papers.

One by one the CDC were taking us out and asking us questions, checking our skin for any sign of this unknown rash. So far, Kira and I had already been called out. Scott was currently there being checked and Stiles and Malia were yet to go. I had a small feeling that whatever was spreading around wouldn't be contagious to us supernatural, that we only had to worry about Stiles catching it, but we'd find out with time. It would be better if we knew what they were thinking it was instead of just theorising about it like we were now.

"Bet they're thinking smallpox." Was Stiles's guess.

"Not likely." The invigilator said from the teachers desk. Stiles, Malia, Kira and I all looked over at him as he butted in on our conversation, reading from a book in his hands as he carried on, "Smallpox was eradicated worldwide in 1979. We've only managed to completely eradicate two viruses in history. The other was rinderpest. It killed cows."

"So we should be comforted by that, right?" Stiles asked him.

"Unless it's something worse." The man deadpanned.

I looked away from him and muttered, "Lovely."

"Whatever it is, they're taking it pretty seriously." Malia said quietly, "There are a lot of cars and trucks out there."

I glanced over to the windows were everyone who hadn't already been questioned or isolated was standing. It was a freak show outside and something that didn't happen all that often in Beacon Hills. We were the only people not standing before the windows and staring out them.

I strained to listen to the commotion that was going on out there. Malia was right. Using my supernatural hearing was almost overwhelming and I cringed in slight discomfort as the array of voices and sounded pierced my ears. There was only one in particular I recognised and I looked at Stiles, "Your dad's out there."

"Hey, I should probably call him." Stiles muttered, walking over to the box on the desk that contained our phones.

"Don't bother," the invigilator said to him, "they would have shut off any access to all outside communication by now. No cell service, no WiFi. No one starting a panic. Looks like we're all just going to have to wait here and see what happens."

A shiver tore down my spine involuntary and a hot flush came over me. Blowing out a breath, I peeled my jacket off and draped it over my knees, "God, its hot in here." I muttered.

Stiles walked back over to us with a grumble, "He's weird, I don't like him."

"Makes two of us." I replied just as quiet, using my hand to fan myself.

My head started to throb, a sharp and pulsating pain that centred through my right eye. The familiar pain was sickening and the feeling that washed over me made me stand up and walk over to the desk. The invigilator looked up from his book to me silently and rose his brow.

I searched through the box for my phone and grabbed it while saying, "I'm using the bathroom."

"Your phone won't work—"

I looked at him through narrowed eyes and said, "I'm not going to use my phone." Without another word I turned my back to him and forced a smile to my face through unwavering sickness and looked at Stiles, "Be back in a few."

He nodded, nonplussed, and turned back to conversation with Kira and Malia. When I walked out of the door I released a heavy breath, pressing my cold hand against my hot forehead while I navigated my way to the bathroom on sheer muscle memory. With each step the pain in my head increased, sickness washing over me with it. It was a migraine similar to those I used to have after my dad made me get them wolfsbane shots. Since I had turned I'd never really suffered apart from the odd full moon.

Was there some kind of event tonight that I hadn't realised? A lunar eclipse, perhaps? That would explain why I was feeling like this...

The short walk to the bathroom had taken literally everything out of me. By the time I got to the door I was stumbling over my own two feet, my vision dancing and distorting. I felt like the world was tilting on an axis and I wasn't able to keep up with it. Sweat was beading at my forehead and running uncontrollably down the back of my neck.

I fell through the toilet stall to my knees just as the vomit began to rise up into my throat. My hands latched on the toilet bowl as I doubled over and heaved once, twice, and then vomited heavily on the third. Tears prickled my eyes as I retched, the sounds of my vomiting echoing through the empty bathroom.

Even though I had my eyes closed I still felt as if my world was moving. When I thought I was finished I fell to the side, my body collapsing against the wall of the stall while I rested my sweaty forehead against my arm that was curled on the toilet. I blew out heavy breaths, trying to wrap my head around what the hell was happening.

This wasn't normal. This didn't happen on moon events. This was something different... something dangerous.

A full shudder tore through my body and left my blood freezing cold when the possibility that this was an isolated attack on me leapt into my mind. The deadpool had been released for well over two weeks now and no one had made an attempt to try and kill me. Me who was worth the most on the entire goddamn list. What if one of my peers had gotten their hands on that list?

Whatever it was, I was in trouble.

I opened my heavy eyes and tried to fight against my swirling vision to look for my phone. My sweaty hands skimmed the cold tiled floor until I felt the device and I picked it up and brought it up close to my face, trying to focus through double vision to call anyone for help.

Stiles's phone went straight to voicemail. I tried Derek next, hoping it was just his cell service rather than mine but his didn't even ring either. A tearless sob left my lips when my call to the Sheriff failed, too. I pulled my phone back from my ear and focused on the bright screen again, my eyes burning with the intensity. My claws were out, pinching the screen of my phone and I swore under my breath.

I tried to locate the group chat with an insane amount of difficulty and just as I began typing out a message my claws retracted back into nails. I tried my best to type out a message but with my double vision fading in and out I wasn't sure it would make any sense. All I needed was for someone to see it and call me and then I would try to convey where I was.

On the third attempt I managed to press the send button and I watched as the message sent... only for it to bounce back with a red exclamation mark next to it stating 'not delivered'. I sobbed tearlessly. My arm fell to my side like a deadweight and I closed my eyes. Everything became over heightened and all I could hear in my ears was the sound of my heavy and laboured breaths. It felt like I had a weight sitting on my chest, my breath loud and difficult.

When I thought it couldn't get any worse piercing pain exploded in my mouth. I cried out and brought my hands up to cup my jaw while I felt my teeth extending, sharpening into canines. A long groan slipped from my lips as the pain began to subdue but my canines didn't go back in like my claws did.

My body was hurting and aching so much. All I could do was sit there against the wall with my eyes closed and try to regain enough strength to move. I couldn't go anywhere until I returned back to normal though.

My breathing began to even out but it was still heavy and hard. The heat that radiated from my body made me feel nauseas again. My head lolled to the side, closer to the toilet bowl just incase but before I could the door to the bathroom opened and closed. I panicked, but I could barely move to close the stall door. I had just managed to kick it slightly when a familiar voice called out, "Alex?"

I opened my eyes as relief washed through me and said, "Stiles?"

I looked to the stall door just as it opened and saw Stiles standing there with furrowed brows. I blinked rapidly, trying to get my vision to go back to normal.

"Alex." He rushed out in worry, crouching to his knees in front of me. His cool fingers cupped my cheeks and guided my heavy head to look at him, "What the hell..."

"It started as a migraine," I breathed, closing my eyes, "then I felt sick. On my way I got dizzy.... I made it to the toilet before I....I was sick but.. my claws came out and.. and then my teeth. They won't go back in."

"Okay, c'mon," he said to me, moving his hands from my face and coming closer to me, "let's go."

"Where?" I mumbled, my eyes closing.

He wrapped his arm around my back and under my legs, scooping me into his hard chest before he stood up and cradled me to his chest. I rested my head against him, the fast beat of his heart echoing into my ear.

"Somethings happening to Scott, too." Stiles said to me as he carried me out of the stall and the bathroom.

"Scott?" I mumbled worriedly, "Where is he?"

"Locker room." He replied, carrying me there. I kept my eyes closed, focusing on his heart until I heard him kick a door. It opened a few seconds later and he began walking again whilst saying, "I found her in the bathroom practically unconscious."

"Alex?"

I opened my eyes, my vision clear again and I looked at my best friend, his eyes glowing a vibrant red intermittently, "Scotty?" I frowned.

"What's going on?" Scott asked me.

Slowly, Stiles lowered me to my feet but he kept his arms around me tightly incase my knees buckled. I managed to stay upright though I clung to Stiles's arms just as tight as he clung to me. I sucked in a deep breath, focusing my flickering eyes on Scott and saying, "I feel like I've been poisoned."

"Like wolfsbane poisoned?" He asked me.

I nodded feeling nothing but dull pain throughout my entire body. Scott's eyes flickered vibrant red again and I frowned, "Scotty, your eyes."

"I can't control it." He responded with a sigh, beads of sweat pooling at his forehead like mine.

I nodded and ran my tongue across my sharp teeth, making them visible to my friends and said, "I know the feeling."

Malia held her hands up for us to see and said, "I can't make them go back." Her claws were out, much like how mine had been only ten minutes ago.

"Obviously the virus is affecting the three of you in a way it won't hit any human being." Mr. Yukimura said.

"So it's definitely the virus?" I muttered with a frown, tilting my head upward to look at him.

Stiles nodded, meeting my gaze, "You guys have to stay out of sight. We have to quarantine you from the quarantine."

"Yeah, but where?" Kira asked, "I mean, what if they get violent? Like on a full moon."

I stiffened in Stiles's hold, in response he tightened his arms around me in comfort. He knew one of my worst fears was losing control during a full moon. I hated it because I could still remember how powerful I felt when I gave in to the temptation. I remember the feeling of wanting to kill Stiles and anyone that stood in my way and I feared that if I ever did give into that urge and no one was there to anchor me out I'd get a taste of that true power... the one that my corrupted my family.

That killing power...

"We shouldn't stay in here." Scott shook his head, "Not in the locker room."

"A classroom is not going to hold us." Malia added.

"What about the basement?"

I shook my head in dismissal, "Too many ways out," I said, "we need something secure. Somewhere nobody can find us."

"The vault." Stiles remembered, "The Hale vault."

Scott looked up at him and I and nodded, "The Hales always have an escape route... like their house. There has to be another way in."

The first entrance was under the school sign. The second had to be somewhere concealable... somewhere not many people would look. But finding it....

Now that was going to be a problem.

____________

A/N; we know what's coming, don't we?