EVERYTHING WAS HAZY, my mind coated in thick fog caused by those demonic creatures that had tore through my brain so easily. My body, once again, felt fatigued and I was truly exhausted but I couldn't shut down. I could still see that haunting yellow glow wherever I looked.

I cradled my left arm to my chest and held it as I sat on Derek's sofa. In the minutes following whatever had happened when that thing stared into my soul I couldn't remember a single thing. I'd formed some sort of insomnia — most likely in a bid to try and forget what had happened — but the first thing I could remember was the sound of a bone snapping followed by pain.

Derek had kindly snapped my radius in order to trigger my healing process to fetch me out of the state I'd fallen into as a consequence of whatever had been done to me. My scream that quickly morphed into a guttural growl echoed in my mind as the pain traveled through my nervous system and into my brain stem. It didn't last long and once the healing process — that Derek had intended to trigger — began I came to my senses but faced a small panicked moment.

One hour and thirty-seven minutes later I was still frozen to the bone, even after the hottest shower my skin could tolerate. It was like my body temperature was stuck at zero and unable to rise. The tremors had stopped at least but I couldn't get warm.

My eyes were heavy as I sat against Derek's sofa. The party had ran much later than what I'd expected it to. When I came round it was just passing five-fifty in the morning and Derek said I'd only been out of it for a couple of minutes. Those creatures were only here for ten minutes, if that, so Derek must've kicked everyone out at knocking on half past five.

I wondered how many people would be sick at school today.

The rattle of Derek's car keys made me perk up somewhat and tiredly I glanced over at him as he put his jacket on and turned to me.

"Where are you off to?" I frowned.

"To take you to school."

I shook my head as I pushed my hand through my damp hair, "Not a chance in hell."

He rose a firm brow, "I'll drag you off the sofa."

"I've had no sleep!" I exasperated. "I was attacked by literal demons."

"It's not my fault you decided you wanted to spend your night partying." He shrugged, "Your choice, now you have to face the consequences."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "You're the most unsupportive guardian in the world, you know that?"

He nodded, "Yeah, you can tell me all about it in the car. Let's go."

I groaned loudly as I threw the cushion to the side, "I hate you." I grumbled as I got up, shoving my feet into my painted white converse I'd had on all night.

Derek barely glanced back at me as he opened the door to the loft, "Tell me something I don't know."

I groaned loudly in annoyance as he continued to work me up. He was just thriving off my last nerve and I knew he was doing it to get back at me for allowing Danny's party to go ahead in the loft. I get he was trying to teach me a lesson but he didn't have to do it now .. after no sleep.

I begrudgingly followed him down the stairs and out into the parking lot where I traipsed to his Jeep and hauled my tired body into the front seat. I pulled my hood up and leaned back against the head rest as Derek pulled out the parking lot, the two of us sitting in a comfortable silence.

Or at least it was comfortable until he began talking.

"We need to talk."

"No we don't." I responded, my eyes still closed as I rested them.

"Alex—"

"Shh." I interrupted him, "Talking bad, silence good."

"It's about you and Aiden."

My heart detached from my arteries and slipped down into my stomach, stilling in the process. I had no choice but to open my eyes and having stiffened upon hearing his name I looked at Derek. Predictably, his face hadn't changed. He still wore his naturally brooding expression as he focused on the road.

I cleared my throat after a minute and turned to look out my window so Derek couldn't see my face, "What about it?"

"There was something strange going on between you two last night." He said to me, "And now that I've had time to think about it there's been something weird between you both since he moved here."

I shrugged, "We were friends in San Fransisco, that's all."

Out the corner of my eye I saw him shake his head, "The way he was acting last night .. that's not how friends behave."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I mumbled.

"Your heart is pounding — irregular. I know you do."

I focused on the trees as I chewed my lip anxiously. I never wanted anyone to know about this and yet Derek had cracked it within hours. I couldn't bury my head under the sand like I had planned on doing.

"He likes you doesn't he?" Derek said to me then as he stopped at a set of traffic lights. He turned to me and I swallowed deeply before turning my head to meet his gaze. I nodded hesitantly before I looked down to my hands.

Silence settled between us again but this time it wasn't welcome. I hated it because there was tension now .. no longer was it comfortable and I knew one of us had to break it again some time soon. I just had no idea what to say.

"Do you like him?" Derek bit the bullet.

The light turned green and my older cousin began driving again and I pressed my lips together while closing my eyes. I hated myself. I should never of had to hesitate .. to think about the answer to his question yet here I was. I was the worst person on the planet.

"It's confusing." I forced out after a short while. By now we were approaching the school and Derek indicated to turn left into the parking lot, "I used to like him .. when I lived in San Francisco. I was hung up on him when I moved here but then I met Stiles again and one day everything changed. I didn't wake up thinking about Aiden, I woke up thinking about Stiles."

Derek pulled to a stop outside school and he pulled the hand break up while putting the car into neutral. He looked at me and slowly I met his sympathetic gaze.

"I'm in love with Stiles." I assured him then .. though it felt like I was trying to tell myself that, "He's the last thing I think of before I go to sleep and the first thing I think of when I wake up. He makes me feel special and-and loved. He's kind and he's caring and he's a good guy. When I'm with him I feel protected. When we're in bed and he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest I feel invincible .. like nothing can ever hurt me."

Derek nodded, "But...?"

"Aiden showed me a side of myself I never knew I had." I admitted honestly, "Being with him was like falling in love with the unexpected. He was the first person who made me feel genuinely loved since my mom died .. seven years Derek. A person doesn't just forget that."

"You never really had the chance to accept what you felt for him, did you?" He asked me.

I shook my head, "And I've been confused ever since he came back." I admitted, "My feelings for Stiles haven't changed but Aiden won't let me forget about that kiss either."

"You kissed?" Derek asked me, his eyes widening.

"Before I moved back." I nodded.

He exhaled deeply, "It really is complicated isn't it."

"Very." I nodded and huffed deeply, "I better go, classes to sleep in, people to avoid .. you know?"

He nodded, "The usual."

"Yeah." I muttered while looking at my hands.

"Well.. if you need a ride home call me." He said to me, "But if it's before three I'll hang up on you."

I smiled slightly, "Got it."

"Bye."

I opened the car door and climbed out, "See you later." I said, closing the door behind me and walking up the path. The cool air kissed my skin, the slight wind surrounding me and the sun blinded me. That was the problem with autumn and winter, the sun was so bright you could hardly open your eyes for it. It was worse than summer in my opinion.

I pushed the double door open and walked into the hallway where the science classrooms were situated. It also happened to be where my locker lived, still in keeping with the surname Anderson.

I needed a pen and a notepad considering the bag I'd brought was empty. I'd left my bag I used for school at Stiles' when I went back yesterday to look for an outfit and the one I had now was one that Derek had thrown at me when we'd gotten in the car though at the minute I was thinking of using it as a pillow.

I could tell just by looking down the corridor who was at Danny's party last night and who wasn't. You could tell by the glum expressions on their faces — the tired eyes and dark circles matched with the pale complexion. They were all hungover.

I reached my locker and released a tired breath, closing my eyes and resting my forehead against the cold metal. I zoned out into my own world until Scott snuck up behind me.

"Alex?"

I jumped, clattering against the lockers as I turned around and put my hand over my chest, "Scott." I muttered, "You scared me."

He furrowed his brows, "You okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded while my heart returned to normal, "Surviving and barely thriving."

Scott looked at me blankly for a minute before he closed his eyes and dropped his head, shaking it to himself.

I crossed my arms over my chest, "What?"

He looked back up at me and arched his brow while he shrugged, "You're not very optimistic."

"This is me being optimistic." I responded, "I got attacked by a demon that came out of the shadows last night, all right? I feel like they've ripped my soul out, made it into a jumbled mess and shoved it back in the wrong way round."

"All right. All right." He nodded as he put his arm around my shoulder and pried me away from my locker. He began to guide me down the corridor while looking sideways at me, "Have you heard from Stiles this morning?"

"No." I grumbled, "I came from Derek's. He forced me here."

"Where did he go last night?" Scott asked me, reverting back to Stiles as we walked slowly.

"Beats me." I said, "It was Aiden who told me he left. I mean, of all the people to tell me, it had to be him."

"He was talking about this key on his key chain that he'd found." Scott told me, "He didn't mention it to you?"

I thought back on last night when I met up with Stiles in the loft. He had been distracted, I remember that much but the second he saw me his attention shifted elsewhere. It was like he'd forgotten about whatever had been on his mind. I remembered then that he was holding a key and no doubt it was the key that Scott was just talking about.

"He didn't mention the key but I remember him holding it." I said to my friend after a minute then.

"Yeah." Scott nodded before he chuckled slightly, "Then he got completely sidetracked by this girl standing in front of him with paint all over her body dragging him away to dance."

I smiled knowing he was talking about me and looked to the ground as a blush forced it's way on to my cheeks, "Sounds like a charmer."

Scott nodded, "He's obsessed with her .. sickeningly in love."

"That's nice." I smiled.

He rose his brows once and lowered them in agreement before he looked at me seriously, "What did happen last night? Between the two of you."

I shrugged, "One minute he's agreeing to crash at Derek's with me and off to get a drink and the next he's gone."

"I tried calling him this morning but he didn't answer." Scott said to me, "Do you think he's okay?"

I shuddered at the thought of him not being, "I don't really want to think of that possibly right now, Scott."

"Yeah." He nodded meekly, "You're right."

Just then, we were ambushed by a third person and they seemed completely oblivious to what we were just fretting over.

Stiles pulled his bag strap further over his shoulder and panted for breath as he looked between the both of us meanwhile Scott and I stared at him in dumbfoundment, "Oh, thank god I found you guys."

"Stiles?" Scott said to him then as he furrowed his brows.

My lips parted as I looked at him indecisively. I couldn't decipher whether I wanted to hit him or hug him. I was still overly annoyed that he'd left last night without as much as a goodbye or an explanation.

"Where the hell have you been?" I snapped, smacking his shoulder three times, "Have you any idea what we've been through since you decided to leave without telling anyone!"

"Ouch." He grimaced, rubbing his arm while he looked at me, "Okay, I'd love to talk about it but I need to show you both something."

"Stiles." I growled in annoyance.

"It's important." He justified, "It's why I left."

"Without saying a word." I argued.

Scott stepped in between the two of us then as Stiles readied himself to respond and he looked between the both of us, "Let's just follow Stiles, okay." He suggested, "Then we can talk."

Silence was my response and Stiles took that as his queue to begin his story. He rubbed his chin before scratching the back of his neck, "Okay, uh.." He started by saying before he stopped. I rose my brow silently as he fumbled around his words. This was unlike Stiles, normally he had too much to say and now he was struggling. It was strange to see.

"So.." He stuttered as he started to walk bringing us to follow after him eagerly, "Last night I was telling you about that key I found, right?"

"Yeah." Scott nodded, "Yeah, you mentioned it."

"Well I got distracted." Stiles said, glancing fleetingly at me, "I went to get a drink and while I was there this girl asked me if I had a bottle opener and I had one on my key chain. I passed it to her and under the lights she pointed out one of my keys had phosphors on it. When I looked, it was the key that I found yesterday."

I noticed we were entering Harris' old classroom — before he became a human sacrifice — and Stiles held the door open for Scott and I to follow him through.

"So she's talking about these phosphors and how the key has chemicals on it and so that made me think of the chemistry closet and the fact that someone had to let Barrow in—"

"Barrow?" I mumbled in confusion, "You think that was you?"

"I-I don't know." He stuttered as he looked at Scott and I as we stood at the back of the classroom, "It was just a thought .. you know how my brain works."

I didn't respond as he turned around and froze, looking at the chalkboard, "It's gone." He mumbled to himself before he charged passed Scott and I to the door to the chemistry cupboard. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and began looking through them, "Okay, it doesn't matter though. It doesn't matter. I've still got the key..."

He drifted off into silence as he started at his eyes, his eyes narrowing in disbelief, "What the hell? I had it I had it here. I had it here this morning, I swear to God, I had it this morning."

"Stiles." I muttered soothingly as he looked at his shaking hands skittishly. I placed my hand over his to try and calm him but to no avail he looked at Scott and myself with wide eyes.

"I showed it to you, right?" Stiles asked Scott, "Didn't I show it to you?"

"No, you just told me about it. I never actually saw it." Scott responded.

He turned to me then, "But you saw it didn't you?" He asked me desperately, his eyes begging for me to say yes — to confirm his theory.

"I saw you holding a key." I reassured him as best as I could, "You never said anything about it being new."

He took his hand out of mine then and ran his fingers through his hair in distress, "I was here a couple of hours ago." He said to us firmly, "And the message left to Barrow spelling Kira's name was right there on the board in my handwriting and I had the key to the chemistry closet."

I swallowed deeply while I listened to Stiles. I'd never seen him so unnerved before and it worried me. He wasn't the type to lose his composure yet here he was, all over the place. This was really getting to him, I could see the slither of fear in his eyes.

"So you unlocked the chemistry closet so Barrow could hide in it from the cops and then you wrote him a message to kill Kira?" Scott asked him with a frown of confusion.

Stiles sighed as he reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone, "I know how it sounds but look at this. This is the news report that came out about Barrow when they caught him, okay? About the shrapnel bomb that he used." He said, showing us the article from Barrow's arrest, "See this? See what he did? He put nuts, bolts and screws in and then he hid the bomb and the detonator in a box that he wrapped as a birthday present. What does that sound like to you?"

"Coach." Scott mumbled in realisation.

Stiles nodded, "The joke we played on Coach. That was my idea. You remember? That was my idea. That's no coincidence. It can't be."

I put my hand on to Stiles' shoulder and rubbed it gently to try and soothe him. I could hear his heart thumping erratically. He was beside himself with the thought of being responsible for directing Barrow to Kira.

Scott looked at him almost hesitantly, like he didn't want to say what he had in mind. This was hard and it was unimaginable. I had no idea how Stiles had come to this conclusion but obviously some pieces of the puzzle did somehow fit together.

"I don't want to sound like I'm trying to tell you that you're wrong. But I don't think you're trying to kill people either." He said to him wearily.

"It was here. It was all here." He persisted, eyes wide.

"We believe you." I said to him comfortingly, rubbing his arm slowly.

"Dude, are you feeling okay?" Scott asked of him, "You're looking really tired."

I nodded in agreement. Stiles was almost as white as a sheet. I'd never seen him so pale and the purple bags under his eyes were prominent yet I couldn't recall seeing them yesterday. We were all tired .. sleep deprived and whatnot but there was just something off about the way he looked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said dismissively, "I just haven't been sleeping really."

"Why don't you go home?" Our friend suggested, "Take a sick day or something."

Again Stiles nodded dismissively — as if something else was on his mind. Mentally he was somewhere else though where I didn't know. I could see the gears turning in his head, stopping him from being able to switch off. He was too tense. This was really effecting him.

Suddenly the warning bell rang and Scott sighed as he looked at Stiles, "I have to go." He said reluctantly, "Maths."

Stiles nodded, "Yeah .. yeah. Go. I'll be fine."

Scott patted his shoulder, "I'll call you later?"

Stiles remained mute and Scott glanced at me fleetingly before walking away and leaving. I pressed my lips together meanwhile, staring at the floor as Stiles breathed somewhat heavily. I looked to see his eyes were glossy, glazed with unshed tears and tentatively I reached out and slowly curled my fingers into his — intertwining our hands. I turned to face him and gasped his jaw gently with my right hand and guided his head down, forcing him to look at me.

"Talk to me." I said to him, staring straight into his eyes.

"I—" He stuttered, "I don't know."

"It's okay." I nodded comfortingly.

"I was here two hours ago and Kira's name was on that board. Those numbers were still there and .. and now it's gone." He muttered, "I feel like I'm going insane."

"You just need to relax." I told him. I didn't want to bypass his feelings. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but right now he was passed the point of exhaustion .. I could see it in his eyes. He needed rest and once he acquired some sleep we could sit down and talk about all of this. For now though my priority was ensuring he went home and went to bed because god knows he needed it.

"Yeah." He nodded, looking away from the clean board again and at me. He held my gaze for a second before his eyes flickered and his brows creased together. I pulled my own brows in, frowning in confusion as his eyes started to narrow.

"What?" I asked him.

"You have yellow paint on your ear." He muttered.

"Oh." I relaxed, "I must've missed it in the shower."

"No, no." He stepped closer, "You weren't wearing yellow paint last night. You hate yellow."

He was so attuned to his surroundings constantly and it made me wonder how he managed it. He saw every little detail, no matter how small. So I had yellow paint on my ear, last night I was cramped between hundreds of bodies who wore yellow paint. I wouldn't of been surprised if it was from someone else who brushed by me.

But then I froze .. because I knew exactly who had a body full of yellow paint last night and I knew how close I was to said person.

Stiles noticed me freeze, I knew by the way his eyes narrowed an inch as he drew his head back. It fell into place though I had no idea how he'd even managed to figure it out.

He removed his hand from mine and it dropped to my side as he stepped back, betrayal clouding in his eyes, "Aiden?"

I stepped after him, "No, Stiles, it wasn't like that."

"But it was him .. wasn't it?"

I was in trouble.

"Just .. just listen to me." I begged him as he turned away from me. He walked towards the door and gasped the handle, tearing it open and walking into the corridor and I followed him the whole way while calling his name. He only ignored me as we pushed our way through the people walking towards us until at last he finally turned to me while snapping in hostility.

"What, Alex?" He yelled irritably.

It caught me off guard and while I stopped I had no idea how to respond to his sudden outburst. I didn't know where it came from. I shook my head to myself slightly as I stood there looking at Stiles.

He was waiting for me to respond but I didn't know how to and when something caught my eye I took the distraction just to break away from Stiles' harsh glare. I'd never seen him so hostile before and it frightened me somewhat.

So I took the distraction but I wished it would've been anyone but Aiden.

Stiles saw that my gaze had shifted behind him and he turned around to see who had suddenly occupied me though I wish he hadn't. I saw his jaw clench as he looked at Aiden and he shook his head before he walked away silently, passing him and ignoring him entirely.

The door slammed behind him and I sighed to myself before I turned around and walked in the opposite direction, ignoring Aiden's presence completely.

____________________

I didn't want to call Stiles incase he'd somehow managed to acquire some sleep but I did need to talk to him at some point. I wasn't sure what he thought had happened between Aiden and I but whatever it was I had to put it right. I had to tell him the whole truth too, no missing out the important parts to save his feelings. He deserved to know it all.

I was undecided on what to do. I didn't have a car but walking wasn't a problem. I could either walk home to see Stiles or I could call Derek and ask for a ride back to the loft. I was still toying between the idea when Scott had approached me between classes with a proposition.

I couldn't exactly remember all the details of this plan but I knew enough to know that it sounded like a bad one but that didn't surprise me. Every plan we fashioned was a bad one — our success rates were shockingly poor to say we belonged to the supernatural species. Either way, we had a bad plan and I had to help because I was apart of the pack.

Not like I didn't not want to be there. I had nothing better to do and homework just wasn't an option to pass the time.

So that was how I ended up in the front of Derek's car, driving to Scott's house to partake in this ridiculous plan B to protect both him and Kira from those shadow lurking, black cladded, yellow eyed demonic ninjas that set their eyes on him and Kira after attacking Aiden and I last night .. or rather this morning.

I was totally thrilled to be doing this if you couldn't tell.

Scott had pulled some sort of plug out of the twins' bikes in order to get away from them and their overprotective take on this and they had to take them to a garage for them to be fixed and of course I had to wait with them. It was awkward and Ethan sitting between us alternating between looking at Aiden and I didn't make it any better.

I spent the entire time at the garage tapping my foot on the ground as the sun slowly descended and I watched its every movement praying it would slow it down but it didn't and when the mechanic came to us to inform us he couldn't fix the twins' bikes today we had to think of plan C quickly.

The sun had almost set and we knew any minute now those creatures would descent on Scott and we couldn't allow that. We had to protect him. That's were Derek slotted in.

He wasn't thrilled that the twins were in his car but he promptly discarded his feelings and it had nothing to do with the fact that I'd growled at him irritably and snapped after reminding him that Scott was in danger. We had to cross from one end of town to the other and by the time we'd pulled up outside of Scott's house — practically on two wheels — and dove out to protect him the sun had disappeared and the night had began.

Derek and I made a beeline for the front door, skidding in across the floor as the twins ran round the back. I felt my facial structure change and for a second I closed my eyes in slight discomfort as the transition ached but when it was over I opened my eyes to enhanced, infrared vision. Derek and I growled as my nails grew into claws and as my older cousin ran to help Scott I noticed that Kira was standing inhumanly still and a shadow lurked behind her.

I wasn't sure why she made no effort to try and escape but either way, I charged for the taller figure just as Kira slowly turned to face it. I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back while standing in front of her, between the two and I pushed her away for her own safety while the creature withdrew a sword from it's chest. I didn't have much experience with sword-wielding supernatural creatures but all I could do was my best and so when it swung it's sword to the right I lifted my leg and kicked it in the side while it was unprotected.

The creature stumbled back just as the glass window behind it smashed into millions of shards and scattered across the floor as the twins jumped in through the window and landed on the table. The two of them engaged in a fight as a forth figure emerged from the shadows in front of me and hit me in the stomach.

It swept me off my feet and my back hit the wall behind me. I groaned as I landed on my knees, winded from the force, but quickly I dragged myself off the ground irritably and moved swiftly towards the shadow. It had been a while since I'd last engaged in a fight and I surprised myself at how quick I could move. My reflexes sharpened up as I put my faith in my sight and hearing. In front of me the creature pulled it's sword out from deep within the abyss that formed its shape.

"Get them outside!" Scott yelled through the house to us all and I focused on that.

I didn't focus my energy on fighting the creature, rather pushing it back further and further towards the front door. I ducked to avoid it's sword ensuring that I was the one stepping forward and not it. I tried not to look at it, knowing I'd lose myself in it's yellow coloured eyes. It'd take me back to last night, to the fear that grabbed me and warped my brain while I laid cold and paralysed on the floor, unable to move as much as a muscle. It drove me to continue pushing as I straightened my back and hit the inside of its arm with the back of mine, driving its sword away.

I stopped moving my feet as I reached the front door and instead focused on keeping it there. I dived backwards as it swung its sword round but quickly jumped back in place and attempting to knock the weapon from its gloved hands. It was impossible however and I grunted in frustration, unsure of how much longer I could carry this on for as the creature began to advance forwards, pushing me back.

"Scott!" I yelled warningly across the house. I knew he had a plan and I needed that plan to be put into motion now, "I can't keep it away much longer."

Scott threw the one he was fighting out of the window and he turned to me, "Kick it out."

I didn't hesitate to lift my foot and forcefully kick my foot into its stomach. It's body was hard under my sole and I stumbled back from the force I'd used as the creature was launched backwards and out on to the poach where it rolled backwards down the steps.

"Alex, move!" Derek shouted to me.

I looked back fleetingly to see him driving the one he was fighting to the door too and I jumped to the side just in time for him to push the creature past the threshold and out of the door. Melissa followed him with a jar in her hand and smashed it on the floor and the three of us watched as the ash formed a line between the doorway.

I furrowed my brows in recognition as Scott walked over to us to look at the barrier, "Mountain ash?" I mumbled, looking to him and Derek.

"Clever." Derek muttered, "The baseboards are made of ash wood."

"Uh, yeah." Scott nodded, "It was Deaton's idea."

"That man saves our arses every day." I remarked.

Scott scoffed, "Yeah." He nodded and I looked at him as his brows twisted. He looked at Derek, "Where the hell did you come from."

"Well Alex called me but I've been following you."

I nodded in agreement with my cousin and folded my arms across my chest, "We all have."

"For how long?" Scott asked in bewilderment.

"All day." Derek shrugged before he passed Scott and walked further into the house.

My friend looked back at me and I simply shrugged before patting him on the shoulder, following Derek as Melissa shouted for Scott in a blind panic. We headed into the kitchen and I watched as the shadowed creatures circled the house, unable to pass the mountain ash barrier.

I opened the fridge door and pulled out a bottle of water, gulping it down while Aiden turned to Kira, "It's Kira, right?" He asked her but she didn't respond. Instead he spoke again as his brow arched somewhat, "So are you gonna tell us what you are?"

"What?" Kira mumbled, her tone panicked, "W-what do you mean?"

"Aiden." Ethan scolded as I pushed myself up from leaning against the counter.

"Watch." He snapped at his brother, grabbing Kira's hand forcefully and holding it to the back door, making her hand press against the mesh net.

I watched as the her hand collided with the ash barrier, the blue ripple scattering outwards from her touch as Ethan walked over to her curiously and looked down to her. The poor girl stepped back wordlessly and I shook my head to myself as I headed over to her rescue. So she was supernatural .. who wasn't nowadays. There was no need for Aiden to pressure her like he was now.

"See that? She can't go through it either." Aiden said to his brother before he looked back at Kira, "So .. what are you?"

"Leave her alone." I said to both twins, glaring at each of them as I stepped between them and Kira, "She doesn't want to tell you .. can't blame the girl."

Aiden narrowed his eyes at me angrily, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Derek entered the kitchen then and he ignored what Aiden and I were in the middle of. Instead, he dove back to the topic of Kira, "She's a kitsune, idiot." He insulted, "Use your eyes. You can see it all around her. The younger ones give off an aura. She just hasn't learned how to conceal it yet. She probably doesn't know what kind she is either."

Out of curiosity I turned around and looked at Kira with my infrared vision, knowing my eyes had changed colour to a golden hue. She stared right back at me, her eyes somewhat wide but I saw what Derek had talked about. The aura. It was strong, a deep orange colour that resembled fire.

"Woah." I mumbled as my vision returned to normal, "That's so cool."

"You see it?" She asked me.

"I have infrared vision." I responded, "I can see it."

Kira pressed her lips together as she looked at the four of us surrounding her. I felt for her — I guessed that we weren't the most friendliest of faces to be surrounded by and I could smell the nerves rolling off of her. She was terrified.

"I—I have to speak to Scott." She stuttered quickly before she dashed away, running between Ethan and myself. I frowned somewhat as I watched her disappear around the corner and into the living room and I walked over to Derek.

"Kitsune?" I asked him curiously as I crossed my arms over my chest, "I've never heard of one of those before."

He nodded, "They're known most in Japanese folklore but they are real creatures. They're Japanese fox spirits."

I could practically see my facial expression as I grinned, "That's so cool."

Derek nodded somewhat before he cast a glance at me and lowered his voice, "Until they're known as tricksters."

My brows furrowed as I leaned closer to him, "Tricksters?"

He nodded again, "We don't know her well enough yet .. and by the sounds of it she barely knows herself."

I clicked my tongue off the roof of my mouth as I said quietly, "Do you think she's dangerous."

"I don't think those things are after her if that's what you're asking." He responded as he looked outside at the shadow figures that continued to surround the house.

"Hey." Aiden interrupted a further conversation then as he called from behind us, "I wasn't going to hurt her."

"Not yet." Derek responded, not even looking back at him.

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

"We're trying to fight for him." Ethan added.

"I'm sure you are." My cousin said then and I turned to the side to look at both him and the twins. Derek's tone had changed, almost like they'd amused him by saying that. After all, Derek didn't trust them one little bit and I could see why — they'd targeted him and his pack for months and now they were the last ones standing, not to mention omegas, they needed a pack of their own.

"I'm sure you're willing to kill for him." Derek added before he turned around and looked at them both, "But are you willing to die for him?" He proposed.

The silence that ensued was the answer as they both turned to glance at one another. I pressed my lips together and looked at Derek before the floorboards shook underneath my feet slightly. A loud rattle followed and looking out the window I saw the shadow figures banging the base of their swords against the mountain ash barrier in unison. My jaw slackened as we watched them pound away as Scott ran into the the kitchen with Kira in tow.

"Looks like we pissed them off." I muttered.

"What are they doing?"

"Testing for weaknesses." Ethan responded.

"Yeah." I nodded, "Or they're trying to break the barrier. That seems much more sensible to me."

The house continued to shake as we watched them and with every tremor plates and glasses began to fall to the ground, shattering in the process. They were relentless.

"Guys." Ethan said then aloud, concern to his tone and we all looked at him — or more specifically, what he was looking at, "We have a problem."

And he was right. The masked figures were beginning to force their way through the barrier with their hands but more importantly they were succeeding. It started with their hand but they moved slowly and robotically to the door where their body began to pass painstakingly slow through the barrier. It was taking a while but there wasn't anything we could do besides watch and examine the way it moved. It's masked face looking at us horrifyingly while two more stood behind it with their swords drawn in the air, waiting for it's leader to pass.

Scott grabbed his phone quickly to make a call and he held his cell to his ear and we al listened as it rang, our supernatural hearing robbing Scott of his privacy, "Allison." He eventually said, "Please tell me that you have something. They're here. They're trying to get in and it looks like they're gonna' be able to do it." He said quickly.

"Okay, okay listen. They're Japanese demons. They're called the Oni. They're looking for someone possessed. Someone with a dark spirit attached to them—" We all heard Allison respond. I looked to Derek upon hearing her words, panic running through me. The words 'demons', 'possessed', and 'dark spirit attached' terrified me entirely.

"—A nogitsune." Scott interrupted her then.

"How'd you know that?" Allison questioned him and I too furrowed my brows in confusion, "Scott?"

"Just.. tell me what else.

"Okay, they won't hurt you." She assured us, "They know you're supernatural but once they do this check, once they realize that 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." She responded.

I swallowed thickly, "So there's a person with a dark spirit attached to them walking around town." I muttered.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Kira said then as she looked at Scott, "They're looking for me."

"They're looking for a dark spirit and I know it's not you." He tried to reassure her.

"Scott, we're going to have to do something." Derek said quickly as we watched the Oni break the barrier completely and step past the threshold of the door.

The twins flanked either side of Derek and I was we stood in front of Scott and Kira, watching the army of demons crowd into the house. We didn't have a plan and we had no idea what to do but when Scott instructed we do nothing I looked at him seriously.

"Is he serious? Aiden asked incredulously.

I read Scott's face like a book and responded, "Entirely."

The heavy footsteps of the Oni echoed throughout the house like a drum — warning us of their approach and they snarled lowly, a chilling sound that reminded me of last night.

"I said don't do anything." Scott repeated firmly as he turned back and looked at Kira before saying, "Trust me."

The Oni had stopped and instead waited for Scott and Kira to come to them and all we could do was watch as our two friends passed us hand in hand and walked over to the masked figures. Once they had stopped the Oni took two perfectly timed robotic steps towards them both and they grabbed the side of Scott and Kira's face while their eyes illuminated that same yellow hue it had when it ripped through my own soul last night but now I realised it wasn't my soul they were searching through .. it was my spirit.

They fell to their knees and out the corner of my eye I saw Aiden jump forwards and I grabbed his jacket without even hesitating and pulled him backwards harshly, keeping my gaze on Scott's back.

He fell first and he collapsed on his side, facing Kira as the Oni continued to search through her spirit until it's hand dropped from her face and she too fell to the ground. We stood inhumanly still as the Oni disappeared and after they had left the four of us rushed to Scott and Kira's side.

"You're gonna be okay." Ethan said to them both in reassurance, "You're gonna be okay."

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A/N; cue void stiles