"They're saying he just threw up all over him and Mason. It wasn't even vomit. It was blood," the girl in front of me tells her friend a little too excitedly for my liking.

Corey. I follow the current of students spilling through the door. I hear fragments of what had happened. As I come through the door, I'm disappointed that I can't see what's happening through the thick sea of people taller than me. I push my way through the hoard of students to the front of the crowd.

As I approach, I see Theo at the front with Scott. I pull up next to him. "Do you know what happened?" I scan the scene. Paramedics linger by a red ambulance with doors wide open.

He looks a bit taken aback. With good reason as well, I haven't talked to him in a week. "It's Corey. He has mercury poisoning."

I swallow the lump in my throat. I knew it was going too well the past few days. As if on cue, four paramedics turn the corner with Corey on the stretcher between them. The boy looks in immense pain and has a nasty splatter of mercury and black blood all down his chin to his white shirt. "You can't! They're going to kill me!" he yells.

Mason follows, his shirt also splattered with the concoction of blood and mercury. The distress is painted plainly across his face. "He just started bleeding everywhere," he says.

"Scott?" Theo asks. "We have to follow him. We have to protect him, right?" Scott doesn't seem to be processing anything of what Theo is saying. "Scott, come on. This is what you do."

He and Scott begin to take off in the direction of the parking lot. Theo pauses after a few steps and turns back. "Aren't you coming?" he asks.

I bite my lip and nod stiffly. I hurry after him. I fall into step beside him since Scott always seems to be a few steps in front of us. "What happened?" he asks.

"Nothing," I say quickly. "What makes you think something happened?"

"Your shoes," he mutters and when I look down I see that I've forgotten to wash a splatter of blood off of my boots.

I look up at him. "It was nothing."

He shakes his head, his lips twisting into a smile. "I know it wasn't nothing," he says. "But I'll wait for you to be ready to tell me."

It feels good to finally have Theo to talk to again. "You know what," I tell him. "I'll tell you as soon as we get the chance to speak alone."

A crease appears between his eyebrows. "Are you still angry at me?"

"I'm still angry at you," I declare, "but you're probably the only person I actually want to talk to at the moment."

"So, not angry?"

I sigh and tilt my head back. "Not angry."

I get stuck in the backseat while Scott and Theo are at the front. I never realised that they were as close as they are now and I feel an empty sort of loneliness at how the pack has grown over the past few days in my absence.

Some time into the car ride, Scott turns to Theo. "What did you want to talk to me about?" The alpha's eyes pass warily over me before his eyes fall on Theo.

"It can wait," Theo says quietly. "I'm not sure if this is the right place to start." Scott shoots me a look. "I don't mind if Arden hears," Theo tells him.

"You think I'm going to be angry?" Scott asks.

Theo raises his eyebrows. "Not at me."

"Theo, you can talk to me," Scott says.

Theo hesitates. "In the glove compartment." Scott reaches over and clicks it open. He draws his arm back with a wrench crusted with dry black blood clasped in his hand. "Belonging to Stiles," Theo explains. "He dropped it at the school."

"At the school when?"

"When he killed Donovan."

I let my mouth hang open. Why would Theo tell Scott about Stiles killing Donovan when Stiles had so much to use against Theo? Stiles could just as easily tell Scott about Theo killing that chimera on the rooftop.

Scott's eyes widen. "What are you talking about?"

"I smelled the blood on his shoulder," Theo says.

"B-But that was the jeep," Scott protests.

"No, it was Donovan," Theo announces. "He went after Stiles at the library. I only saw the end of it but when I saw what Stiles was doing, I couldn't stop it." He pauses. "I-I shouldn't be telling you this, you should hear it from Stiles," he says, his voice strained.

"Tell me," Scott says.

Theo looks over at Scott, his eyes distant and trying to remember. "I saw Donovan go down. Stiles kept on hitting him with the wrench. M-Maybe he thought Donovan was going to kill his dad or that he had to keep hitting him to defend himself, but he just kept on hitting him."

I lean forward, narrowing my eyes at him. What angle is he trying to play here?

"That's not possible," Scott says.

"He crushed that kid's skull," Theo says and when he turns halfway to me, I see his eyes are shiny with tears. Fake tears, I think. "I heard it cracking a-and splintering and by the time I had pulled Stiles off of him, half his head was caved in. It didn't even look real." He exhales a long breath. "I kept telling myself it was self defence, that it was self defence. Scott, I'm sorry, but I've never seen anything like it and I've never seen someone that angry.

"You should talk to Stiles. You have to talk to him."

As soon as we're out of the car, I make a point to ask him about it. "What the hell was that?" I ask under my breath.

His lips twist into a small smile. "My way into the pack."

The damage is evident as we approach the tall glass doors of the hospital. Scott breaks into a run, with Theo close on his heels. Neither of them seem to remember that I'm lacking in the whole superhuman speed department and so I'm left to trail behind them, my feet moving half as fast as theirs.

I scan the scene, my eyes passing over the overturned wheelchairs and stream of nurses aiding the wounded.

"They're here," Scott gasps.

"This wasn't the Dread Doctors," I say. "This was Corey."

"Arden and I'll search the top two levels," Theo says. Scott nods absentmindedly, still watching his surroundings.

Theo tugs me after him and he sets off at a hurriedly purposeful walk. "I need you to tell me what happened," he says as he jabs at the elevator button.

"It can wait," I say. I'm stalling. I don't know where to start.

The elevator door shifts open and, thank god, there's no one in there. I enter after Theo and poke at the button that closes the doors. I go to pick the level, but Theo grabs my wrist. "Wait," he says. "You said you would tell me when we were alone."

"Fine," I mumble and then say more clearly, "I killed another one." I purposely avoid his gaze but when I do look up at him, he looks confused. "A chimera," I clarify before adding, "which incidentally was also one of Brett's best friends."

He looks thoughtfully at me. "The body. Where is it? We have to keep it a secret."

I intake a sharp breath. I didn't even think of what Brett might do with the body. "I-I don't know," I stammer. "I left it with Brett."

"But he would've hidden it, right? He'll keep it a secret," he says.

I shove my hands in my pocket. "I-I don't know, alright?"

"What else happened yesterday, Arden? Come on, something doesn't make sense," he presses.

I gnaw on the inside of my bottom lip. "He broke up with me, okay?" My voice cracks as I speak. "He's probably going to tell Liam or Scott or someone about the chimera and then I'll be kicked out of the pack."

Theo looks at me. "No, he won't," he says. "I won't let him."

He presses for the fourth floor.

The hospital is the epitome of chaos. Equipment is strewn all over the floor and I have to be cautious about where I put my feet in fear of stepping on a rogue syringe or something. Theo works through each of the corridors methodically and takes a peer in the open rooms and vacant rooms swiftly.

After scouring the whole third and fourth floors and not finding Corey, we head back to the rendezvous spot. Scott is already waiting there, looking as hopeless and defeated as ever.

"Security's still looking," he says as we approach.

Theo opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off by the elevator doors shutting halfway and then opening again. It does this multiple times as if something were confusing it, something like -

"The Dread Doctors," Theo says.

"Now they're here," Scott utters.

We restart our thorough search again at the malfunctioning elevator. I mostly just trail behind the two boys in front of me since I am, again, the only one without the whole scent thing.

Finally, Theo pauses in front of a door. I realise that it must be the ambulance depot, because when I follow the two werewolves inside, there are rows upon rows of stationed red ambulances. "We should split up," I say. "We're never going to find him if we all go together."

I regret this as soon as I scurry down the row, weaving in and out of vehicles. I hear a slight splash as my foot falls into a puddle and I flinch back at the unexpected sound. I lift my foot out of the black blood slowly and lower myself to the ground. I peer underneath the ambulance. I can't see his face, but Corey is motionlessly propped against an ambulance, a deep wound leaking black blood and silver mercury.

I'm up in an instant and slipping between two ambulances to get to the dead boy. I'm too late. My heart falls as my eyes pass over his dilated, lifeless eyes and still chest.

"Guys," I call. "I think I've found him."

The others crouch down beside me, examining the body. "We should go," Theo says.

I feel my phone buzz in my back pocket and fish it out. I read the text over twice as Theo and Scott look at me expectedly. "Stiles," I say, glancing up. "There's another failure at the school."

Theo swears under his breath. "Arden will come with me to the school," he says. "You find Hayden and Liam."

Scott nods stiffly and Theo pulls me to my feet. He walks hurriedly to his car and I walk beside him, slightly more relaxed.

I've barely shut the car door behind me when Theo begins his thorough interrogation. "Brett hasn't had any time to contact Scott, right? The pack wouldn't know yet?"

"I don't think so," I say. "It happened yesterday but Scott hasn't brought anything up."

He nods, glancing briefly over at me. "Are you alright? You seem a little...anxious."

I look down at my unsteady hands. "I killed someone," I say softly. "I've killed too many people. I-I don't know how to be like you. How to be strong."

"Arden," he says, "you are the strongest person I know."

I can't help the blush creeping up my cheeks. I have no idea what to respond so instead I focus on what's outside. "Hey, you missed the turn," I tell him.

He arches his eyebrows at me. "We're not going to the school," he says. "We're going to Devenford Prep."

I widen my eyes at him. "What?"

He nods. "We're going to talk to Brett about the body," he says. "Maybe threaten him a little bit."

I shake my head. "No way," I refuse. "I'm not going to talk to my ex about a dead body."

"You won't need to talk to him," he says. "I will."

I lean forward at him. "Turn this car around," I demand, jabbing a finger at him. "I am not going near Brett."

"I'm trying to drive here," he says, swatting my hand away. "And besides, I'll be there. You don't have to talk if you don't want to."

The car comes to a halt. I hesitate before opening the door. The last time I came to Devenford Prep, things didn't end so well.

"Arden," Theo says, coming around the front of the car. "Are you ready to go?"

I shake my head, intaking a sharp breath. "I don't want to," I declare. "I can't do it."

I reach for the car's door handle. Theo closes his hand over mine softly and I look up at him. "We'll do it together," he says. "We'll figure it out together."

He guides my hand away slowly. "Thank you for doing this for me," I say softly.

"For you, I'd do anything," he says. "But I'm just using this as an excuse to kick Brett's ass."

I scold him. "Just talking," I say.

We find Brett on the lacrosse field after almost getting lost multiple times in the labyrinth-like school. I feel a pang of woe hit me. The place where it all started.

The place where it all ended.

Brett nudges his friends to leave as he catches sight of Theo and me. I avoid his gaze. This was a terrible idea.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, looking between Theo and me. His posture is rigid and hostile.

"I just want to talk," I say, holding my hand up, my palm facing out. A peaceful gesture. A gesture that says, I mean no harm.

Brett nods towards Theo. "Why's he here?"

Theo glares at him. "Because Arden's too soft to kill you if it comes to that."

I flinch at his words as Brett eyes me off. His eyes aren't angry, exactly, and that's what makes me feel so hollow. They're full of fear. "I'm not going to kill you," I say. My voice is smaller than I thought it would be. "And neither will Theo." I follow this with a pointed look at Theo.

This does nothing to calm Brett down. "So what do you want?" he says bitterly.

I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. "I need you to tell me that you won't tell Scott about the body."

He looks up, fixing his eyes on mine. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

My heart sinks. I open my mouth to speak, but Theo cuts me off. "Okay, asshole," he begins. "But Arden used to be your girlfriend and it's not right for you to just forget about all of that. You should still care. Hell, you would still care. I know if I had Arden I would care for her until the day that I die. And even when I'm bathing in the pits of hell - and trust me, shithead, I know that's exactly where I'm headed - I'm going to look up and hope that Arden's still alright.

"You can't just let go of everything you had in the matter of a few days. That's totally unfair on Arden."

I look up at Theo. I'm struck dumbfounded. "Thank you," I say under my breath, and I mean it. My hand finds his and our fingers interlock.

"So you're questioning me about honour, you piece of shit?" Brett asks. "You left her in that abandoned building alone to go do whatever your shady ass is doing behind all our backs. And don't act innocent, because nobody just shows up in Beacon Hills to reunite with their elementary school friends."

"At least I didn't leave her when she needed me most," Theo says, raising his eyebrows.

A muscle feathers in Brett's jaw and I draw in a sharp breath. "Theo, stop," I mutter.

"I can't believe you're still defending this asshole," he says sourly.

I ignore him. I can't help it still feeling defensive over Brett. It's not as easy as it probably is for him. For me, it sends a wave of melancholy over me every time I see him. I keep remembering back to the look he gave me when he saw me crouched over Samuel, a film of another person's blood covering my hands and wrists: a look of sheer disgust and betrayal that eats away at me.

"So are you going to tell him?" I ask, switching the subject.

Brett squares his shoulders. "I have to. She killed him," he says, emphasising on the word killed. I feel a lump forming in my throat.

"Brett -" I start, but I cut myself off as Theo lunges at Brett.

Brett makes a gasping sound as Theo tackles him to the ground. "You say anything and I'll rip your throat out," he says. His claws are pressed up against Brett's neck, a trickle of blood falling from where his claws prick into the skin.

I crouch down beside him. "Theo," I warn, laying a gentle hand on his arm. "Let go."

He looks at me, his eyes a pool of gold. "Not until he promises he won't tell," he says. I flinch when I see his fangs jutting over his bottom lip.

Brett looks at me pleadingly and I shrug. He looks back at Theo, his eyes wide. "I won't tell Scott or his pack," he says finally.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as Theo slams Brett against the ground. "Good," Theo says, and releases him.

Brett pushes himself up with a grunt and turns to go away. I catch his wrist in my hand. "Wait," I say and then I do possibly the worst - and best - thing I've ever done.

I draw my arm back and bring the palm of my hand down hard against his cheek. He yelps and clutches at his cheek. "That wasn't self defence," I say. "That was because you deserved it."

I turn back to Theo and he bites his lip, trying to hold in laughter. My lips turn into a smile of their own and I pull him after me into the main building of Devenford Prep.

"I'm just glad it wasn't me this time," he says as I bound down the empty corridors, holding onto his hand. He groans as I pull him after me with an ebullient tug of the arm.

"You trained me too well," I say.

"That was all you," he murmurs.

I pull him closer by his jacket. "Mm, you deserve some of the credit," I say, a smile playing on my lips.

A door opens suddenly and I break away. A very strict looking teacher with a pinched face and bun pulled tight at the nape of her neck enters the corridor. "What are you doing here?" she asks.

"Shit," he mutters under his breath.

"Aaand this is the part where we run," I announce. We take off at a hasty sprint through the corridors, my feet slipping against the floor as Theo takes a sharp turn right. I hear the teacher yelling behind us.

And then he's pushing the door open and we're bolting across the parking lot, almost getting knocked over by a black Mercedes.

"Oh, god," Theo says between puffs. "You alright?"

"Yeah," I say, slowing to a walk. "I think we've lost her."

He looks behind him and paces himself. "Yeah," he says.

"Do you think he's going to tell?" I ask, opening the door of Theo's car.

"He almost pissed himself back there," Theo says, jamming the key into the ignition. "I don't think he will."

I let out a long breathe which whistles through my teeth. "Thank you for doing this," I say.

"No, thank you for doing this," he says. "I've been waiting to beat his ass since the day I met him."

I tilt my head to the side and grin. "Why do you hate him so much?" I say, my smile falling into a frown.

"Because he had you," he says gently. "And he took you for granted."

I don't say anything after that.

How could two sides of the same person be so different? I'm still conflicted on whether to trust Theo or not as he pulls up at the school.

The school is in a state of chaos, and students roam aimlessly around the area marked as the crime scene. We get stuck on the outskirts of the group clustering around the scene and I can barely see over the heads of the people in front of us. "What's happening?" I ask Theo, craning my neck. "Who is it?"

"She's in a few of my classes," he says, leaning down. "I can see her face but not much else. It looks like her neck was broken."

I open my mouth to speak but I'm cut off by the sheriff who comes up behind Theo, tapping him on the shoulder. "I need to speak to you," he says.

I make a start to follow them, but then the sheriff says, "Alone," and I back off.

As soon as they're out of sight I follow them as quietly as I can. I crouch in front of the door, straining my ears to hear. I can only make out a muffled hum of conversation and their words are too low to understand. Once, I think I hear crying coming from inside the room and press my ear against the cool solid oak door.

The door suddenly clicks open and I skirt out of the way, landing on my ass in the process. I let out a gladdened breath as Theo comes through the door. His eyes are red and raw, but he's smiling slightly. I push myself up.

"What happened? Are you alright?" I ask.

"I'm fine," he says. "Fake crying is a real asset to have in these sorts of situations."

"What happened in there?" I ask, squinting slightly.

"I told him I killed Donovan."

"You what?"

"Relax," he says, swaggering beside me. "I need Stiles to trust me for this to work."

I stop suddenly. "What do you need to work?"

"I'll tell you later." He changes the subject hastily. "Has Scott found Liam and Hayden yet?"

"I don't know," I tell him. "I haven't got any texts or calls from him."

"He would've called," Theo says. "Come on, we need to find them."

We drive around for hours, but to no avail. I've seldom felt this hopeless. The sun sets in a shade of blood and I start to grow weary. I lean my head against the hard window of his car and feel my eyelids going droopy. I'm asleep in a matter of seconds.

"Arden, come on, wake up." His voice comes through a haze of unconsciousness and dreams. Theo. I furrow my eyebrows slightly. When did I fall asleep? Furthermore, where am I? His voice is gentle, not urgent. "I saw that," he says. "I know you're awake."

I keep my breath steady and try to stop my eyes from moving beneath my lids. I don't want to wake up.

I jump when his lips graze my cheekbone. My eyes shoot open and I widen my eyes at him. "Why did you do that?"

He doesn't answer, just laughs a little. "Sorry for scaring you," he says softly.

I relax slightly and scan the surroundings. To my surprise, I'm in my own bedroom. I shift uncomfortably when I see Theo reclining on my bed beside me. I prop myself up and smooth my hair and clothes down. "Why are you in my room?"

"You fell asleep. I found it slightly inappropriate to put you in my bed."

I nod slowly, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "But I mean, you could've left after putting me to bed or whatever."

"Remember there's crazy supernatural doctors on the loose," he says, leaning his head against the headboard.

"Yeah, sounds like the ones your working with." I raise my eyebrows at him. "You said you would tell me why you're working with them."

He takes a deep breath and stands up off the bed. "I need you to understand," he says, approaching slowly.

"Theo," I begin, "you've been there through everything. I killed people and you understood. You understood that I couldn't help it. That it would kill me everyday from then on. And you stayed. You forgave me."

"Arden, don't you understand that I'm the villain?" he says slowly.

I frown and throw my hands up. "Then what am I, Theo? I can't be anything other than what I am. I'm a siren. A monster. And I hate myself every single fucking day for not being someone else. Something else. I hate myself for not being the hero. I hate myself for never knowing what to do. I hate never making the right decisions."

"Arden," he says, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Don't hate yourself."

And he closes the space between us. His lips are soft, pressing against mine gently but desperately. His arms snake around my waist and his fingers tangle themselves in my hair. I can feel the warmth of his body against mine. Two layers. Two layers are the only thing between Theo's body and my own. I let him kiss me and run his fingers along my back. I feel an overwhelming sense of ease.

Like everything's going the way it should be.

Theo pulls away suddenly but gently. He looks distracted, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular, but narrowed slightly as if he was straining to hear something.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Someone's here," he says slowly. He loosens his arms around me and heads towards the noise. I can hear it now, too, as if someone is racing around the outside of the house.

Theo takes off at an astounding speed and I follow as hastily as I can. I haul the back door open and slip into the darkness. I approach cautiously, letting my feet fall to the ground softly and hesitantly. I dig around my back pocket for my phone. Eventually, producing it out of my pocket, I turn on the flashlight.

I scream.